Thirteen Years Ago Today

[Metal Mike]

That's why they need to just build the space shuttle out of parts harvested from Chuck Norris clones.

[Mr. Coprophilia]

I remember this all to well, I was managing a body shop at the time and had a TV in the lobby with a dozen or so customers when the news came across of this event, there wasn't a dry eye there.

[Steve 1]

I doesn't seem that long ago...

[Metal Mike]

Originally Posted by Top Gear

I doesn't seem that long ago...

Just give it time...

[tbone79]

I can't believe that Mission control wouldn't tell them that the shuttle was damaged and was probably not safe to land. Letting them attempt re entry could have caused multiple casualties on the ground from falling debris. Maybe I watch too many movies , but I think the collective "minds" could have come up with a rescue plan, maybe have them dock with the ISS until a plan was formulated. A real tragedy..

[Metal Mike]

Originally Posted by tbone79

I can't believe that Mission control wouldn't tell them that the shuttle was damaged and was probably not safe to land. Letting them attempt re entry could have caused multiple casualties on the ground from falling debris. Maybe I watch too many movies , but I think the collective "minds" could have come up with a rescue plan, maybe have them dock with the ISS until a plan was formulated. A real tragedy..

Unfortunately NASA has its own set of politics. The same politics were at play not only during the Challenger disaster, but well into the subsequent investigation thereof.

[rapeWhistle]

IIRC I was hog hunting down in Laredo and had been up for about 48hrs or so straight when we heard about it on the radio.

[Pyramid_Head]

So sad, those poor people.

[withershins]

I saw the space shuttle fly over my house in texas before it fell apart.

[kellyhound]

Originally Posted by tbone79

I can't believe that Mission control wouldn't tell them that the shuttle was damaged and was probably not safe to land. Letting them attempt re entry could have caused multiple casualties on the ground from falling debris. Maybe I watch too many movies , but I think the collective "minds" could have come up with a rescue plan, maybe have them dock with the ISS until a plan was formulated. A real tragedy..

It turned out that the fateful collision between the insulation foam and the Shuttle had been noticed, but such incidents had occurred before without any cause for concern.

But in his personal blog, former flight director Wayne Hale, who was assigned to the ill-fated mission, says that concerns about possible damage to the Thermal Protection System (TPS) had been flagged up.

He says the decision taken by Jon Harpold, the director of mission operations, was that there was no point in telling the crew their concerns, because there was nothing the Columbia’s astronauts could do about it.

“He had spent his early career in shuttle entry analysis,” Hale writes. “He knew more about shuttle entry than anybody; the guidance, the navigation, the flight control, the thermal environments and how to control them.

After one of the MMTs [Mission Management Teams] when possible damage to the orbiter was discussed, he gave me his opinion: 'You know, there is nothing we can do about damage to the TPS.

If it has been damaged it’s probably better not to know. I think the crew would rather not know.

Don’t you think it would be better for them to have a happy successful flight and die unexpectedly during entry than to stay on orbit, knowing that there was nothing to be done, until the air ran out?'”

He took away the possibility for them to make a proper farewell to their family's imo.

I think the crew would rather not know.

or maybe some would know. Maybe could have told them an hour before re-entry so they could have had a final goodbuy to their loved ones.

60% of the shuttle has never been recovered after desintegrating.