The Columbia disaster that destroyed the space shuttle

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The shuttle Columbia (filmed in December 2002 during preparations for what would become its final mission) was the oldest shuttle

The shuttle Columbia (photographed in December 2002 during preparations for what would become its final mission) was the oldest shuttle in orbit.

America may now aim to return astronauts to the Moon, but for years the United States turned its back on manned missions after the Columbia space shuttle disaster.


It space programme He suffered a catastrophic setback when all seven astronauts were killed when Transfer service It exploded upon re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere 20 years ago on February 1, 2003.

It was the second shuttle disaster after the 1986 Challenger explosion that also killed the crew and led to sharp criticism of NASA’s safety culture.

The shuttle fleet was grounded for two and a half years and sparked a huge shift in America Void flights.

In 2004, President George W. Bush announced that the very expensive program would be terminated.

For years after the last shuttle flight in 2011, NASA found itself relying on Russia for transportation to the International Space Station (ISS) until Elon Musk’s SpaceX began flying passengers there in 2020.

In addition to the Moon, Washington is now preparing for human mission to Mars, tentatively scheduled for the late 30s or early 40s.

smoke effects

Columbia crashed 203,000 feet (61,900 m) over eastern Texas just as the mission controller in Houston was speaking with Columbia Commander Rick Husband.

Columbia lifts off from Kennedy Space Center on January 16, 2003

Columbia lifts off from Kennedy Space Center on January 16, 2003.

“To Columbia, here is Houston…we haven’t copied your last letter.”

After a moment, the husband replied: “Roger but…”

After a brief crackling noise, the connection was cut off.

Columbia disappeared from radar screens at 9:00 am (1400 GMT), 16 minutes before it was scheduled to land.

Local television stations picked up on the smoldering wreckage of the 80-tonne rover dotting the skies over the southern United States, and parts of it were scattered over Texas and Louisiana.

Bob Moulter of Palestine, Texas, told National Public Radio how he saw the shuttle break apart in the sky.

“There was a huge bang that shook the house for more than a minute, and I went out because I thought there had been a train accident on the line nearby.

“But there was nothing, and then I looked up and saw traces of smoke winding in zigzags, scurrying across the sky.”

A memorial at the Houston Space Center in Texas, on February 7, 2003

A memorial at the Houston Space Center in Texas, on February 7, 2003.

Champions

Columbia was the oldest shuttle in orbit.

When it took off on its 28th flight on January 16, 2003 on a 16-day mission to perform experiments it had been in operation for more than 20 years.

Flight STS-107 was launched under very tight security in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks and due to the presence of Israel’s first astronaut, Ilan Ramon, on board.

Bush cut short his stay at the Camp David presidential retreat and rushed back to Washington after the tragedy. In a televised speech, he hailed the crew, which included two women, as heroes.

A probe revealed that the shuttle disintegrated due to damage caused by a piece of foam from the external fuel tank that had taken a piece from the craft’s left wing during liftoff.

This made him unable to withstand it extreme heat Created by re-entry.

Debris of the space shuttle Columbia pictured two days after it broke up on re-entry on February 1, 2003

Debris of the space shuttle Columbia pictured two days after it broke up on re-entry on February 1, 2003.

The end of the shuttle program

The shuttle program was born in 1972 under President Richard Nixon and went on to become the central focus of America’s human spaceflight ambitions for the next four decades.

The fleet also functioned like space trucks, carrying more than 1,500 tons of equipment to help build the first space telescope, Hubble, and the International Space Station.

After the Columbia disaster, NASA underwent sweeping changes aimed at improving its culture and safety.

The agency resumed shuttle flights in July 2005, with Discovery, then Endeavor and finally Atlantis flying to the ISS through 2011.

© 2023 AFP

the quote: Columbia Disaster That Destroyed the Space Shuttle (2023, January 30) Retrieved January 30, 2023 from https://phys.org/news/2023-01-columbia-disaster-scuttled-space-shuttle.html

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