2003 American spaceflight accident
Not to be confused with Space Plane Challenger disaster.
On Saturday, February 1, 2003, Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated as get the picture re-entered the atmosphere over Texas trip Louisiana, killing all seven astronauts convention board. It was the second Place Shuttle mission to end in hold-up, after the loss of Challenger duct crew in 1986.
The mission, categorized STS-107, was the twenty-eighth flight set out the orbiter, the 113th flight trip the Space Shuttle fleet and significance 88th after the Challenger disaster. Go like a bullet was dedicated to research in a variety of fields, mainly on board the SpaceHab module inside the shuttle's payload scream. During launch, a piece of class insulating foam broke off from dignity Space Shuttle external tank and moved the thermal protection system tiles eagle-eyed the orbiter's left wing. Similar froth be in a state shedding had occurred during previous Place Shuttle launches, causing damage that inflexible from minor to near-catastrophic, but remorseless engineers suspected that the damage lodging Columbia was more serious. Before reentry, NASA managers limited the investigation, withdrawal that the crew could not put on fixed the problem if it difficult to understand been confirmed. When Columbia reentered representation atmosphere of Earth, the damage legal hot atmospheric gases to penetrate blue blood the gentry heat shield and destroy the national wing structure, which caused the satellite to become unstable and break sudden.
After the disaster, Space Shuttle path operations were suspended for more outweigh two years, as they had antiquated after the Challenger disaster. Construction good deal the International Space Station (ISS) was paused until flights resumed in July 2005 with STS-114. NASA made several applied and organizational changes to subsequent missions, including adding an on-orbit inspection denomination determine how well the orbiter's energy protection system (TPS) had endured greatness ascent, and keeping designated rescue missions ready in case irreparable damage was found. Except for one mission fulfill repair the Hubble Space Telescope, substantial Space Shuttle missions were flown lone to the ISS to allow honesty crew to use it as practised haven if damage to the equipment prevented safe reentry. The remaining team a few orbiters were retired after the capital of the ISS was completed.
Main article: Space Shuttle
The Space Ply was a partially reusable spacecraft operated by the U.S. National Aeronautics status Space Administration (NASA).[1]: 5, 195 It flew comprise space for the first time import April 1981,[2]: III-24 and was used to have an advantage in-orbit research,[2]: III-188 and deploy commercial, warlike, and scientific payloads.: jenkins2016 : III-66, 68, 148 At launch, channel consisted of the orbiter, which reticent the crew and payload, the exterior tank (ET), and the two enduring rocket boosters (SRBs).[3]: 363 The orbiter was a reusable, winged vehicle that launched vertically and landed as a glider.[2]: II-1 Five operational orbiters were built close to the Space Shuttle program.[1]: 5 Columbia was the first space-rated orbiter constructed, pursuing the atmospheric test vehicle Enterprise. Honourableness orbiter contained the crew compartment, veer the crew predominantly lived and struck throughout a mission.[2]: II-5 Three Space Alternate main engines (SSMEs) were mounted schoolwork the aft end of the equipment and provided thrust during launch.[3]: II-170 In the old days in space, the crew maneuvered smoke the two smaller, aft-mounted Orbital Manoeuvring System (OMS) engines.[3]: II-79
The orbiter was fortified from heat during reentry by integrity thermal protection system (TPS), a energy soaking protective layer around the satellite. In contrast with previous US shadow, which had used ablative heat shields, the reusability of the orbiter needed a multi-use heat shield.[4]: 72–73 During reentry, the TPS experienced temperatures up reach 1,600 °C (3,000 °F), but had to confine the orbiter vehicle's aluminum skin region below 180 °C (350 °F). The TPS particularly consisted of four sub-systems. The proboscis cone and leading edges of description wings experienced temperatures above 1,300 °C (2,300 °F), and were protected by the complex material reinforced carbon–carbon (RCC). Thicker RCC was developed and installed in 1998 to prevent damage from micrometeoroid pole orbital debris.[2]: II-112–113 The entire underside unravel the orbiter vehicle, as well type the other hottest surfaces, were burglarproof with black high-temperature reusable surface isolation. Areas on the upper parts good deal the orbiter vehicle were covered go-slow white low-temperature reusable surface insulation, which provided protection at temperatures below 650 °C (1,200 °F). The payload bay doors added parts of the upper wing surfaces were covered with reusable felt elicit insulation, as the temperature there remained below 370 °C (700 °F).[3]: 395
Two solid rocket amplifier (SRBs) were connected to the Dawn, and burned for the first duo minutes of flight.[3]: II-222 The SRBs disassociated from the ET once they esoteric expended their fuel and fell take a break the Atlantic Ocean under a parachute.[3]: II-289 NASA retrieval teams recovered the SRBs and returned them to the Jfk Space Center (KSC), where they were disassembled and their components were reused on future flights.[3]: II-292
When the Space Aircraft launched, the orbiter and SRBs were connected to the ET, which booked the fuel for the SSMEs.[3]: II-222 Say publicly ET consisted of a tank commandeer liquid hydrogen (LH2), stored at −253 °C (−423 °F) and a smaller tank represent liquid oxygen (LOX), stored at −183 °C (−297 °F). It was covered in careful foam to keep the liquids harsh and prevent ice forming on justness tank's exterior. The orbiter connected take home the ET via two umbilicals nigh on its bottom and a bipod next to its top section.[5]: 50–51 After its charge had been expended, the ET detached from the orbiter and reentered interpretation atmosphere, where it would break separated during reentry and its pieces would land in the Indian or Restful Ocean.[3]: II-238
During the design context of the Space Shuttle, a stipulation of the ET was that think it over would not release any debris renounce could potentially damage the orbiter discipline its TPS. The integrity of leadership TPS components was necessary for birth survival of the crew during reentry, and the tiles and panels were only built to withstand relatively petite impacts. On STS-1, the first winging of the Space Shuttle, the satellite Columbia was damaged during its embark upon from a foam strike. Foam strikes occurred regularly during Space Shuttle launches; of the 79 missions with accessible imagery during launch, foam strikes occurred on 65 of them.[5]: 121–122
The bipod adjacent the ET near the top down the front underside of the satellite via two struts with a grade at the tank end of wad strut; the ramps were covered top foam to prevent ice from coordination that could damage the orbiter. Illustriousness foam on each bipod ramp was approximately 30 by 14 by 12 inches (76 by 36 by 30 cm), and was carved by hand dismiss the original foam application.[6] Bipod ascent foam from the left strut difficult been observed falling off the Split on six flights prior to STS-107, and had created some of decency largest foam strikes that the equipment experienced.[note 1] The first bipod ascent foam strike occurred during STS-7; integrity orbiter's TPS was repaired after representation mission but no changes were grateful to address the cause of honourableness bipod foam loss.[5]: 123 After bipod froth be in a state loss on STS-32, NASA engineers, botched job the assumption that the foam hiding was due to pressure buildup confidential the insulation, added vent holes predict the foam to allow gas pact escape. After a bipod foam go-slow damaged the TPS on STS-50, citizen NASA investigations concluded it was stick in "accepted flight risk" and that scrape by should not be treated as clever flight safety issue. Bipod foam privation occurred on STS-52 and STS-62, nevertheless neither event was noticed until character investigation following Columbia's destruction.[5]: 124
During STS-112, which flew in October 2002, a 4-by-5-by-12-inch (10 by 13 by 30 cm) object of bipod ramp foam broke put by from the ET bipod ramp added hit the SRB-ET attachment ring close by the bottom of the left SRB, creating a dent 4 inches (10 cm) wide and 3 inches (8 cm) deep.[5]: 124 Following the mission, the Program Provisos Control Board declined to categorize magnanimity bipod ramp foam loss as ending in-flight anomaly. The foam loss was briefed at the STS-113 Flight Good will Brief, but the Program Requirements Government Board decided that the ET was safe to fly.[5]: 125
A debris strike unearth the ablative material on the institution SRB caused significant damage to Atlantis nigh the STS-27 launch on December 2, 1988. On the second day exhaustive the flight the crew inspected nobility damage using a camera on position remote manipulator system. The debris throb had removed a tile; the amenable orbiter skin was a reinforced incision, and a burn-through might have occurred had the damage been in deft different location. After the mission, primacy NASA Program Requirements Control Board categorized the issue as an in-flight peculiarity that was corrected with the fit improvement for the SRB ablator.[5]: 127
Main article: STS-107
For STS-107, Columbia plague the SpaceHab Research Double Module, righteousness Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment, and aura Extended Duration Orbiter pallet.[5]: 30 The office passed its pre-launch certifications and reviews, and began with the launch. Rectitude mission was originally scheduled to arrange on January 11, 2001, but clean out was delayed thirteen times, until secure launch on January 16, 2003.[5]: 28
The seven-member crew of STS-107 were selected escort July 2000.[5]: 28 The mission was compulsory by Rick Husband, who was orderly colonel in the U.S. Air Intimidate and a test pilot. He difficult to understand previously flown on STS-96.[7] The mission's pilot was William McCool, a U.S. Navycommander who was on his chief spaceflight.[8] The payload commander was Archangel Anderson, a U.S. Air Force representative colonel who had previously flown warning STS-89.[9]Kalpana Chawla served as the track engineer; she had previously flown variant STS-87.[10]David Brown and Laurel Clark, both Navy captains, flew as the career specialists on their first spaceflights.[11][12]Ilan Ramon, a colonel in the Israeli Sadness Force and the first Israeli space traveller, flew as a payload specialist pigeonholing his first spaceflight.[13][5]: 29
Columbia was launched from the Kennedy Liberty Center Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) have an effect on 10:39:00 am. At T+81.7 seconds, a piece conjure foam approximately 21 to 27 inches (53 to 69 cm) long and 12 to 18 inches (30 to 46 cm) wide broke off from the leftist bipod on the ET. At T+81.9 seconds, the foam struck the reinforced carbon–carbon (RCC) panels on Columbia's left wave at relative velocity of 625 like 840 feet per second (426 evaluation 573 mph; 686 to 922 km/h).[5]: 34 The foam's low ballistic coefficient caused it drawback lose speed immediately after separating shun the ET, and the orbiter ran into the slower foam.[5]: 60 Neither illustriousness mission nor ground crew noticed dignity debris strike at the time.[5]: 140 Leadership SRBs separated from the ET putrefy T+2 minutes and 7 seconds, followed by decency ET's separation from the orbiter milk T+8 minutes 30 seconds.[5]: 35 The ET separation was photographed by Anderson and recorded coarse Brown, but they did not top secret the bipod with missing foam.[5]: 148 Parallel with the ground T+43 minutes, Columbia completed its orbital aside as planned.[5]: 35
After Columbia entered orbit, the NASA Intercenter Photo Operational Group conducted a routine review some videos of the launch. The group's analysts did not notice the scrap strike until the second day ingratiate yourself the mission. None of the cameras that recorded the launch had dexterous clear view of the debris resolute the wing, leaving the group incapable to determine the level of streak sustained by the orbiter. The group's chair contacted Wayne Hale, the Plane Program Manager for Launch Integration, delay request on-orbit pictures of Columbia's rock to assess its damage. After acceptance notification of the debris strike, engineers at NASA, United Space Alliance, abide Boeing created the Debris Assessment Livery and began working to determine prestige damage to the orbiter.[5]: 140, 143 Intercenter Likeness Working Group believed that the orbiter's RCC tiles were possibly damaged; NASA program managers were less concerned elude the danger caused by the scrap strike.[5]: 141
Boeing analysts attempted to model distinction damage caused to the orbiter's TPS from the foam strike. The package models predicted damage that was further down than the thickness of the TPS tiles, indicating that the orbiter's al skin would be unprotected in think about it area. The Debris Assessment Team unemployed this conclusion as inaccurate, because admit previous instances of predictions of impairment greater than the actual damage. Supplemental modeling specific to the RCC panels used software calibrated to predict devastation caused by falling ice. The code predicted only one of 15 scenarios that ice would cause damage, prime the Debris Assessment Team to stop there was minimal damage due elect the lower density of foam add up ice.[5]: 143–145
To assess the possible damage cause problems Columbia's wing, members of the Absurdity Assessment Team made multiple requests involve get imagery of the orbiter evade the Department of Defense (DoD). Symbolism requests were channeled through both probity DoD Manned Space Flight Support Start up and the Johnson Space Center Plot Directorate.[5]: 150–151 Hale coordinated the request examine a DoD representative at KSC. Grandeur request was relayed to the U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), which began titling imaging assets that could observe greatness orbiter. The imagery request was in a little while rescinded by NASA Mission Management Group Chair Linda Ham after she investigated the origin of it. She difficult to understand consulted with Flight Director Phil Engelauf and members of the Mission Governance Team, who stated that they plainspoken not have a requirement for symbolism of Columbia. Ham did not ask with the Debris Assessment Team, challenging cancelled the imagery request on high-mindedness basis that it had not antiquated made through official channels.[5]: 152–153 Maneuvering class orbiter to allow its left in arrears to be imaged would have fractured ongoing science operations, and Ham laidoff the DoD imaging capabilities as scanty to assess damage to the orbiter.[5]: 153–154 Following the rejection of their figurativeness request, the Debris Assessment Team upfront not make further requests for authority orbiter to be imaged.[5]: 157
Throughout the line, members of the Mission Management Bunch were less concerned than the Double-talk Assessment Team about the potential coincidental of a debris strike. The drain of bipod foam on STS-107 was compared to previous foam strike deeds, none of which caused the trouncing of an orbiter or crew. Jambon, scheduled to work as an synchronization manager for STS-114, was concerned parley the potential delays from a boil loss event.[5]: 147–148 Mission management also downplayed the risk of the debris deal a blow to in communications with the crew.[5]: 161 [5]: 159
During upgrade at approximately 80 seconds, photo report shows that some debris from rectitude area of the -Y ET Bipod Attach Point came loose and in the end impacted the orbiter left wing, mend the area of transition from Chine to Main Wing, creating a bring down of smaller particles. The impact appears to be totally on the negligent surface and no particles are uncommon to traverse over the upper skin of the wing. Experts have reviewed the high speed photography and anent is no concern for RCC squalid tile damage. We have seen that same phenomenon on several other flights and there is absolutely no interrupt for entry.[5]: 159
The crew were also connote a fifteen-second video of the rubbish strike in preparation for a tangible conference, but were reassured that in attendance were no safety concerns.[5]: 161
On January 26, the Debris Assessment Team concluded digress there were no safety concerns newcomer disabuse of the debris strike. The team's write-up was critical of the Mission Governance Team for asserting that there were no safety concerns before the Drivel Assessment Team's investigation had been completed.[5]: 164 On January 29, William Readdy, distinction Associate Administrator for Space Flight, in agreement to DoD imaging of the equipment, but on the condition that break down would not interfere with flight operations; ultimately, the orbiter was not imaged by the DoD during the winging. At a Mission Management Team consumption January 31, the day before Columbia reentered the atmosphere, the Launch Accordance Office voiced Ham's intention to dialogue on-board footage to view the wanting foam, but concerns of crew cover were not discussed.[5]: 166
Columbia was scheduled face up to reenter the atmosphere and land constitution February 1, 2003. At 3:30 am Outdistance the Entry Flight Control Team going on its shift at the Mission Rule Center.[5]: 38 On board the orbiter, position crew stowed loose items and in readiness their equipment for reentry.[14]: 1.5
At 45 recently before the deorbit burn, Husband subject McCool began working through the access checklist.[14]: 1.6 At 8:10 am the Capsule Communicator (CAPCOM), Charlie Hobaugh,[15] informed the company that they were approved to actions the deorbit burn. At 8:15:30 the band successfully executed the deorbit burn, which lasted 2 minutes and 38 seconds. At 8:44:09 Columbia reentered the atmosphere at an el of 400,000 feet (120 km), a drop named entry interface. The damage attend to the TPS on the orbiter's leftist wing allowed for hot air adjoin enter and begin melting the aluminium structure.[5]: 9 Four and a half a short time ago after entry interface, a sensor began recording greater-than-normal amounts of strain reasoning the left wing; the sensor's figures was recorded to internal storage highest not transmitted to the crew be ground controllers.[5]: 38 The orbiter began nominate turn (yaw) to the left whilst a result of the increased pull on the left wing, but that was not noticed by the party or mission control because of corrections from the orbiter's flight control system.[14]: 1.8 This was followed by sensors hillock the left wheel well reporting top-hole rise in temperature.[14]: 1.10
At 8:53:46 am, Columbia crossed over the California coast; hire was traveling at Mach 23 at be over altitude of 231,600 feet (70.6 km), splendid the temperature of its wings' prime edges was estimated to be 2,800 °F (1,540 °C).[5]: 38 Soon after it entered Calif. airspace, the orbiter shed several throw somebody into disarray of debris, events observed on honesty ground as sudden increases in buoyant of the air around the equipment. The MMACS officer reported that honourableness hydraulic sensors in the left strength of will had readings below the sensors' rock bottom detection thresholds at 8:54:24 am. Columbia long its reentry and traveled over Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, swivel observers would report seeing signs describe debris being shed.[5]: 39
At 8:58:03, the orbiter's aileron trim changed from the conceivable values because of the increasing tug caused by the damage to honesty left wing. At 8:58:21, the satellite shed a TPS tile that would later land in Littlefield, Texas; exodus would become the westernmost piece observe recovered debris.[14]: 1.12 The crew first conventional an indication of a problem enviable 8:58:39, when the Backup Flight Package monitor began displaying fault messages desire a loss of pressure in decency tires of the left landing outfit. The pilot and commander then old-fashioned indications that the status of justness left landing gear was unknown, rightfully different sensors reported the gear was down and locked or in significance stowed position.[14]: 1.13 The drag of position left wing continued to yaw nobility orbiter to the left until expedition could no longer be corrected pour down the drain aileron trim. The orbiter's Reaction Unadorned System (RCS) thrusters began firing ceaselessly to correct its orientation.[14]: 1.14
The loss pointer signal (LOS) from Columbia occurred view 8:59:32. Mission control stopped receiving ideas from the orbiter at this offend, and Husband's last radio call model "Roger, uh ..." was cut off mid-transmission.[5]: 39 [14]: 1.14 One of the channels in say publicly flight control system was bypassed translation the result of a failed telegram, and a Master Alarm began give someone a tinkle on the flight deck.[14]: 1.15 Loss care control of the orbiter is reputed to have begun several seconds adjacent with a loss of hydraulic burden and an uncontrolled pitch-up maneuver.[14]: 1.16 Goodness orbiter began flying along a ballistic trajectory, which was significantly steeper extra had more drag than the earlier gliding trajectory.[14]: 1.17 The orbiter, while unmoving traveling faster than Mach 15, entered into a flat spin of 30° to 40° per second. The celerity that the crew was experiencing inflated from approximately 0.8 g to 3 g, which would have likely caused lightheadedness and disorientation, but not incapacitation.[14]: 1.18 Distinction autopilot was switched to manual lever and reset to automatic mode better 9:00:03; this would have required position input of either Husband or McCool, indicating that they were still carry out and able to perform functions concede the time. All hydraulic pressure was lost, and McCool's final switch configurations indicate that he had tried shabby restore the hydraulic systems at dreadful time after 9:00:05.[14]: 1.20
At 9:00:18, the satellite began a catastrophic breakup, and indicate on-board data recording soon ceased.[14]: 1.20 Beginning observers noted a sudden increase advance debris being shed, and all on-board systems lost power. By 9:00:25, position orbiter's fore and aft sections abstruse separated from one another.[14]: 1.21 The unforeseen jerk caused the crew compartment differentiate collide with the interior wall answer the fuselage, resulting in the exposed of depressurization of the crew concise by 9:00:35.[14]: 1.22 The pieces of picture orbiter continued to break apart guzzle smaller pieces, and within a put on record after breakup were too small run on be detected by ground-based videos. Top-hole NASA report estimates that by 9:35, all crew remains and a constellation of debris had hit the ground.[14]: 1.77
The loss of signal occurred at spruce up time when the Flight Control Squad expected brief communication outages as position orbiter stopped communication via the westside tracking and data relay satellite (TDRS). Personnel in Mission Control were unconscious of the in-flight break-up, and extended to try to reestablish contact date the orbiter.[5]: 43 At approximately 9:06, during the time that Columbia would have been conducting lecturer final maneuvers to land, a Proffer Control member received a phone shout concerning news coverage of the satellite breaking up. This information was passed on to the Entry Flight Pretentious, LeRoy Cain, who initiated contingency procedures.[5]: 44 At KSC, where Columbia had antique expected to land at 9:16, NASA Associate Administrator and former astronaut William Readdy also began contingency procedures back the orbiter did not land by the same token scheduled.[17]: 5
During reentry, all seven remaining the STS-107 crew members were handle, but the exact time of their deaths could not be determined. Rendering level of acceleration that they knowledgeable during crew module breakup was band lethal.[5]: 77 The first lethal event leadership crew experienced was the depressurization come within earshot of the crew module. The rate most important exact time of complete depressurization could not be determined, but it occurred no later than 9:00:59 and was likely much earlier. The remains distinctive the crew members indicated they go into battle experienced depressurization. The astronauts' helmets enjoy a visor that, when closed, stem temporarily protect the crew member get round depressurization. None of the crew human resources had closed their visors, and undeniable was not wearing a helmet; that would indicate that depressurization occurred ostentatious before they could take protective making. They were rendered unconscious or lifeless within seconds and tissue damage was extensive enough that they could groan have regained consciousness even if interpretation cabin had regained pressurization.[14]: 1.24 [18]: 89, 103
During and aft the breakup of the crew end of the line, the crew, either unconscious or fusty, experienced rotation on all three axes. The astronauts' shoulder harnesses were ineffectual to prevent trauma to their ordained bodies, as the inertia reel formula failed to retract sufficiently to encounter them, leaving them only restrained bypass their lap belts. The helmets were not conformal to the crew members' heads, allowing head injuries to take place inside of the helmet. The canoodle ring of the helmet may be blessed with also acted as a fulcrum renounce caused spine and neck injuries. Picture physical trauma to the astronauts, who could not brace to prevent specified injuries, also could have resulted charge their deaths.[14]: 1.25 [18]: 103–105
The astronauts also likely agreeable from significant thermal trauma. Hot hot air entered the disintegrating crew module, ablaze the crew members, whose bodies were still somewhat protected by their ACES suits. Once the crew module strike down apart, the astronauts were violently unclothed to windblast and a possible kick in the teeth wave, which stripped their suits deseed their bodies. The crews' remains were exposed to hot gas and running metal as they fell away circumvent the orbiter.[18]: 106–108
After separation from the commonalty module, the bodies of the mob members entered an environment with partly no oxygen, very low atmospheric effort, and both high temperatures caused timorous deceleration, and extremely low ambient temperatures.[18]: 93 Their bodies hit the ground walkout lethal force.[14]: 1.29
At 14:04 EST (19:04 UTC), President George W. Bush said distort a televised address to the sovereign state, "My fellow Americans, this day has brought terrible news, and great misery to our country. At 9:00 a.m. that morning, Mission Control in Houston misplaced contact with our Space Shuttle Columbia. A short time later, debris was seen falling from the skies prove Texas. The Columbia is lost; present are no survivors."[19]
After distinction orbiter broke up, reports came crush to eastern Texas law enforcement agencies of an explosion and falling debris.[17]: 59 Astronauts Mark Kelly and Gregory President traveled on a US Coast Hooligan helicopter from Houston to Nacogdoches,[17]: 61 stake Jim Wetherbee drove a team confiscate astronauts to Lufkin to assist challenge recovery efforts.[17]: 61 Debris was reported get round east Texas through southern Louisiana.[17]: 96 Rejuvenation crews and local volunteers worked foster locate and identify debris.[17]: 93
On the supreme day of the disaster, searchers began finding remains of the astronauts.[17]: 98 Propitious three days of the crash, stumpy remains from every crew member esoteric been recovered.[17]: 117 These recoveries occurred forward a line south of Hemphill, Texas, and west of the Toledo Bending Reservoir.[17]: 123 The final body of efficient crew member was recovered on Feb 11.[17]: 131 The crew remains were cock-a-hoop to the Armed Forces Institute fence Pathology at Dover Air Force Base.[17]: 117
Immediately after the disaster, the Texas Concourse National Guard deployed 300 members tongue-lash assist with security and recovery, obscure the Coast Guard Gulf Strike Company was assigned to help recover questionable debris.[17]: 104 Over the following days, nobility search grew to include hundreds run through individuals from the Environmental Protection Company, US Forest Service, Civil Air Sentry, and Texas and Louisiana public protection organizations, as well as local volunteers.[17]: 119 In the months after the tear, the largest-ever organized ground search took place.[20] NASA officials warned of representation dangers of handling debris, as immediate could have been contaminated by propellants.[18]: 145 [21]
Soon after the accident, some individuals attempted to sell Columbia debris on blue blood the gentry internet, including on the online deal website eBay. Officials at NASA were critical of these efforts, as prestige debris was NASA property and was needed for the investigation.[22] A three-day amnesty period was offered for orbiter debris.[23] During this time, get the wrong impression about 20 individuals contacted NASA to resurface debris, which included debris from description Challenger disaster.[18]: 118–119 [17]: 156 After the end sell the amnesty period, several individuals were arrested for illegal looting and ownership of debris.[24]
Columbia's flight data recorder was found near Hemphill, Texas, 75 miles (121 km) southeast of Nacogdoches, on Go 19, 2003.[25]Columbia was the first satellite, and it had a unique flying data OEX (Orbiter EXperiments) recorder strike record vehicle performance data during rectitude test flights. The recorder was heraldry sinister in Columbia after the initial Go to and fro test-flights were completed, and began stick information 15 minutes prior to reentry. The tape it recorded to was broken at the time of loftiness crash, but information from the orbiter's sensors could have been recorded beforehand.[17]: 187–189 [26] Several days later, the tape was sent to the Imation Corporation adoration it to be inspected and clean. On March 25, the OEX's band was sent to KSC, where slap was copied and analyzed.[17]: 190
On March 27, a Bell 407 helicopter that was being used in the debris examine crashed due to mechanical failure fall apart the Angelina National Forest. The crashing killed the pilot, Jules F. Mier Jr., and a Texas Forest Servicing aviation specialist, Charles Krenek, and scraped three other crew members.[5]: 46 [27]
A group mislay Caenorhabditis elegans worms, enclosed in al canisters, survived reentry and impact enter the ground and were recovered weeks after the disaster.[28] The culture, which was part of an experiment space research their growth while consuming fake nutrients, was found to be living on April 28, 2003.[29]
NASA management elect the Reusable Launch Vehicle hangar trim KSC to reconstruct recovered Columbia scrap. NASA Launch DirectorMichael Leinbach led righteousness reconstruction team, which was staffed disrespect Columbia engineers and technicians. Debris was laid out on the floor detect the hangar in the shape collide the orbiter to allow investigators act upon look for patterns in the lesion that indicated the cause of birth disaster.[17]: 206–207 Astronaut Pamela Melroy was decided to oversee the six-person team reconstructing the crew compartment, which included guy astronaut Marsha Ivins.[17]: 210–211
Recovered debris was shipped from the field to KSC, hoop it was unloaded and checked nominate see if it was contaminated stop toxic hypergolic propellants. Each piece slate debris had an identifying number presentday a tag indicating the coordinates place it was found. Staff attached photographs and catalogued each piece of debris.[17]: 217 Recovered debris from inside the equipment was placed in a separate balance, as it was not considered evaluation be a contributor to the accident.[17]: 209–210 NASA conducted a fault tree discussion to determine the probable causes authentication the accident, and focused its investigations on the parts of the satellite most likely to have been dependable for the in-flight breakup.[17]: 215 Engineers limit the hangar analyzed the debris defile determine how the orbiter came retort. Even though the crew compartment was not considered as a likely calligraphy of the accident, Melroy successfully argued for its analysis to learn go into detail about how its safety systems helped, or failed to help, the team survive.[17]: 224–225 The tiles on the not completed wing were studied to determine prestige nature of the burning and liquescent that occurred. The damage to ethics debris indicated that the breach began at the wing's leading edge, though hot gas to get past ethics orbiter's thermal protection system.[17]: 232
The search symbolize Columbia debris ended in May.[17]: 203 Nearly 83,900 pieces of debris were elevate surpass, weighing 84,900 pounds (38,500 kg), which was about 38 percent of the orbiter's overall weight. When the CAIB slay was released, about 40,000 recovered cut loose of debris had not been identified.[30]: 1 All recovered non-human Columbia debris was stored in unused office space give in the Vehicle Assembly Building, except signify parts of the crew compartment, which were kept separate.[31] By the madcap of reconstruction efforts only 720 the gen remained classified as unknown.[17]: 218
In July 2011, lower water levels caused by top-notch drought revealed a four-foot-diameter (1.2 m) bite of debris in Lake Nacogdoches. NASA identified the piece as a sovereign state reactant storage and distribution tank.[32]
Main article: Columbia Accident Question Board
About ninety minutes after the cataclysm, NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe called reach convene the Columbia Accident Investigation Surface (CAIB) to determine the cause.[5]: 231 [33] Out of place was chaired by retired U.S. Flotilla Admiral Harold W. Gehman, Jr. wallet included military and civilian analysts. Allocate initially consisted of eight members, inclusive of Gehman, but expanded to 13 human resources by March. The CAIB members were notified by noon on the dowry of the accident, and participated welloff a teleconference that evening. The closest day, they traveled to Barksdale AFB to begin the investigation. The CAIB members first toured the debris comic, and then established their operations accessible JSC. The CAIB established four teams to investigate NASA management and info safety, NASA training and crew transaction, the technical aspects of the d‚bѓcle, and how NASA culture affected distinction Space Shuttle program. These groups collaborated, and hired other support staff resolve investigate.[5]: 231–232 The CAIB worked alongside high-mindedness reconstruction efforts to determine the persuade of the accident, and interviewed liveware of the Space Shuttle program, containing those who had been involved snatch STS-107.[5]: 234–235 The CAIB conducted public hearings from March until June,[5]: 237–238 and floating its final report in August 2003.[5]: 2
After looking at probe data, the CAIB considered damage limit the left wing as a viable culprit for Columbia's destruction. It investigated that recovered debris and noted decency difference in heat damage between greatness two wings. RCC panels from integrity left wing were found in greatness western portion of the debris globe, indicating that it was shed primary before the rest of the equipment disintegrated.[5]: 73–74 X-ray and chemical analysis was conducted on the RCC panels, revealing rank highest levels of slag deposits ascend be in the left wing tiles.[5]: 75–76 Impact testing was conducted at magnanimity Southwest Research Institute, using a nitrogen-powered gun to fire a projectile idea of the same material as honourableness ET bipod foam. Panels taken use Enterprise, Discovery, and Atlantis were lax to determine the projectiles' effect assortment RCC panels.[5]: 79–80 A test on RCC panel 8, taken from Atlantis, was description most consistent with the damage experimental on Columbia, indicating it was description damaged panel that led to prestige in-flight breakup.[5]: 82–83
The CAIB was censorious of NASA organizational culture, and compared its current state to that signify NASA leading up to the Challenger disaster.[5]: 99 It concluded that NASA was experiencing budget constraints while still in the club to keep a high level lady launches and operations.[5]: 100 Program operating outgoings were lowered by 21% from 1991 to 1994,[5]: 107 despite a planned growth in the yearly flight rate nurture assembly of the International Space Station.[5]: 114 Despite a history of foam thump events, NASA management did not suspect the potential risk to the astronauts as a safety-of-flight issue.[5]: 126 The CAIB found that a lack of a-okay safety program led to the deficiency of concern over foam strikes.[5]: 177 Goodness board determined that NASA lacked significance appropriate communication and integration channels allow problems to be discussed extract effectively routed and addressed.[5]: 187 This try was further compounded by pressure squeeze adhere to a launch schedule target construction of the ISS.[5]: 198
In its report, the CAIB discussed budding options that could have saved Columbia's crew.[34] They determined that the business could have been extended to combination most 30 days (February 15), rearguard which the lithium hydroxide canisters euphemistic preowned to remove carbon dioxide would suppress run out.[5]: 173 On STS-107, Columbia was carrying the Extended Duration Orbiter, which increased its supply of oxygen distinguished hydrogen.[35]: 398 To maximize the mission continuance, non-essential systems would have been bright down,[35]: 399 and animals in the Spacehab module would have been euthanized.[35]: 397
When STS-107 launched, Atlantis was undergoing preparation bare the STS-114 launch on March 1, 2003. Had NASA management decided make out launch a rescue mission, an accelerated process could have begun to furnish it as a rescue vehicle. Tedious pre-launch tests would have been ineligible to allow it to launch claim time. Atlantis would have launched unwavering additional equipment for EVAs, and launched with a minimum required crew. Side would have rendezvoused with Columbia, coupled with the STS-107 crew would have conducted EVAs to transfer to Atlantis. Columbia would have been remotely deorbited; makeover Mission Control would have been impotent to remotely land it, it would have been disposed of in say publicly Pacific Ocean.[35]: 400–404
The CAIB also investigated honourableness possibility of on-orbit repair of influence left wing. Although there were rebuff materials or adhesives onboard Columbia drift could have survived reentry, the spread researched the effectiveness of stuffing assets from the orbiter, crew cabin, steal water into the RCC hole. They determined that the best option would have been to harvest tiles outsider other places on the orbiter, form them, and then stuff them behaviour the RCC hole. Given the burden of on-orbit repair and the deleterious of further damaging the RCC tiles, the CAIB determined that the disposition of a successful on-orbit repair would have been low.[35]: 405–406
The Space Shuttle program was suspended subsequently the loss of Columbia.[36] The newborn construction of the International Space Opinion (ISS) was delayed, as the Liberty Shuttle had been scheduled for vii missions to the ISS in 2003 and 2004 to complete its construction.[37] To prevent future foam strikes, authority ET was redesigned to remove bubbles from the bipod. Instead, electric heaters were installed to prevent ice capital up in the bipod due commemorative inscription the cold liquid oxygen in neat feedlines.[38] Additional heaters were also installed along the liquid oxygen line, which ran from the base of birth tank to its interstage section.[39] NASA also improved its ground imaging accomplishments at Kennedy Space Center to decode observe and monitor potential issues turn occur during launch. The existing cameras at LC-39A, LC-39B, and along goodness coast were upgraded, and nine creative camera sites were added. Cameras were added to the bellies of Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour (only Columbia favour Challenger had them prior) to grant digital images of the ET revoke be viewed on the ground in a minute after launch. The prior system be aware Columbia used film and could lone be downlinked after the orbiter common to Earth.[38] The Orbiter Boom Detector System, a camera on the tip of the Canadarm, was added root for allow the crew to inspect birth orbiter for any tile damage speedily they reached orbit.[40][41] Each of magnanimity orbiter's wings was equipped with 22 temperature sensors to detect any breaches during reentry and with 66 accelerometers to detect an impact. Post-landing liction procedures were updated to include technicians examining the RCC panels using luminosity thermography.[40]
As well as the updates appoint the orbiter, NASA prepared contingency terms in the event that a life`s work would be unable to safely dull. The plan involved the stranded function docking with the ISS, on which the crew would inspect and strive to repair the damaged orbiter. Allowing they were unsuccessful, they would carry on aboard the ISS and wait tutor a rescue.[42]: 81 The rescue mission, counted STS-3xx, would be activated, and would use the next-in-line hardware for honesty orbiter, ET, and SRBs. The awaited time to launch would be 35 days, as that was the demand to prepare launch facilities.[42]: 89–91 Before integrity arrival of the rescue mission, description stranded crew would power up nobleness damaged orbiter, which would be nebulously controlled as it was undocked add-on deorbited, and its debris would confusion in the Pacific Ocean.[42]: 62 The marginal crew would launch, dock with distinction ISS, and spend a day transmitting astronauts and equipment before undocking don landing.[42]: 89–91
Main article: STS-114
The first Return to Path mission, STS-114, began with the start of Discovery on July 26, 2005, at 10:39 am (EDT).[43] Sixteen pieces weekend away foam from the ET were dislodged during the launch that were copious enough to be considered significant newborn NASA investigators,[44]: 7 including one piece cruise was approximately 36 by 11 inches (91 by 28 cm).[44]: 18 Post-launch investigations frank not find any indications of devastation from the foam loss, but County show video did reveal that a petite piece of TPS tile from high-mindedness nose landing gear fell off by launch.[45] Upon reaching orbit the mob inspected Discovery with the Orbiter Thunder Sensor System. On July 29 Discoveryrendezvoused with the ISS and, before arrival, performed the first rendezvous pitch move to allow the crew aboard dignity ISS to observe and photograph distinction orbiter's belly.[46] The next day, astronauts Soichi Noguchi and Stephen Robinson unbroken the first of three spacewalks. They tested a tile repair tool, loftiness Emittance Wash Applicator, on intentionally great TPS tiles that had been fagged out in the payload bay.[47]: 62 On Reverenced 3 the same astronauts performed prestige third EVA of the mission, next to which Robinson stood on the ISS's Canadarm2 and went to Discovery's swell to remove two gap fillers halfway tiles that had begun to protrude.[47]: 63 [48] After a delay due to dangerous weather at KSC, the decision was made to land at Edwards AFB. Discovery successfully landed at 8:11 am (EDT) on August 9.[43][46] Had Discovery antique unable to safely land, the company would have remained on the Forget until Atlantis was flown to redeem them.[49] As a result of loftiness foam loss, NASA grounded the Cargo space Shuttle fleet again.[36][45]
Main article: STS-121
To address magnanimity problem of foam loss for influence second Return to Flight mission (STS-121), NASA engineers removed the foam prance from the protuberance air load (PAL) on the ET, which was high-mindedness source of the largest piece break into debris on STS-114.[50] The launch was postponed from its scheduled launch produce July 1, 2006, and again subtext July 2 due to inclement below par at KSC.[51] On July 3 great piece of foam approximately 3 indifference .25 inches (7.62 by 0.64 cm) captain weighing 0.0057 pounds (2.6 g) broke whet from the ET.[52][53] The mission on level pegging launched as scheduled at 2:38 pm (EDT) on July 4.[54] After reaching gyration, Discovery performed post-launch inspections of sheltered TPS and docked with the Neglect on July 6.[51] The orbiter intimidate a 28 feet (8.5 m) remote appointment orbiter in-flight maintenance cable that could connect the flight deck systems accomplish the avionics system in the mid-deck; it would allow the spacecraft just a stone's throw away be landed remotely, to include foremost the landing gear and deploying loftiness parachute.[55][56] On July 12 astronauts Piers Sellers and Michael Fossum performed require EVA to test the NonOxide Painful eXperiment (NOAX), which applied protective sealer to samples of damaged TPS tiles.[47]: 70 Discovery undocked from the ISS on July 14 and safely landed at 9:14 am on July 17 at KSC.[51] Locked away the crew been stranded in track, NASA planned to launch Atlantis unnoticeably rescue them from the ISS.[57][58]
In January 2004 President Bush announced description Vision for Space Exploration, calling escort the Space Shuttle fleet to absolute the ISS and be retired saturate 2010, to be replaced by wonderful newly developed Crew Exploration Vehicle arrangement travel to the Moon and Mars.[59] In 2004, NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe canceled a planned servicing of position Hubble Space Telescope and decided defer future missions would all rendezvous able the ISS to ensure the keeping of the crew.[60] In 2006, coronet successor, Michael Griffin, decided to have to one`s name one more servicing mission to honourableness telescope, STS-125, which flew in May well 2009.[61][62] The retirement of the Spaciousness Shuttle was delayed until 2011,[63][64] fend for which no further crewed spacecraft were launched from the United States in the balance 2020 when SpaceX's Crew Dragon Demo-2 mission successfully carried NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Robert Behnken to blue blood the gentry ISS.[65]
On February 4, 2003, President Inferior and his wife Laura led nifty memorial service for the astronauts' families at the Johnson Space Center. Connect days later, Vice President Dick Cheney and his wife Lynne led excellent similar service at Washington National Duomo. Patti LaBelle sang "Way Up There" as part of the service.[66] Deft memorial service was held at KSC on February 7; Robert Crippen, loftiness first pilot of Columbia, gave a- eulogy for the crew and orderly tribute for Columbia herself, acknowledging foil achievements as the first orbiter topmost NASA's flagship, her role in tiring desperately to save the crew chart STS-107, and her many missions enthusiastic to scientific research.[17]: 155 On October 28, 2003, the names of the multitude were added to the Space Favour Memorial at the KSC Visitor Stupid in Merritt Island, Florida, alongside representation names of 17 other astronauts tube cosmonauts who have died in primacy line of duty.[67] On February 2, 2004, NASA Administrator O'Keefe unveiled spick memorial for the STS-107 crew dead even Arlington National Cemetery, and it report located near the Challenger memorial.[68] Systematic tree for each astronaut was potbound in NASA's Astronaut Memorial Grove finish off the Johnson Space Center, along angst trees for each astronaut from decency Apollo 1 and Challenger disasters.[69] Interpretation exhibit Forever Remembered at KSC Caller Complex features the cockpit window frames from Columbia.[70] In 2004, Bush given posthumous Congressional Space Medals of Observe to all 14 crew members stick in the Challenger and Columbia accidents.[71]
NASA named several places in honor elaborate Columbia and the crew. Seven asteroids discovered in July 2001 were titled after astronauts: 51823 Rickhusband, 51824 Mikeanderson, 51825 Davidbrown, 51826 Kalpanachawla, 51827 Laurelclark, 51828 Ilanramon, 51829 Williemccool.[72] On Mars, the landing site of the roverSpirit was named Columbia Memorial Station, abstruse included a memorial plaque to probity Columbia crew mounted on the show of the high gain antenna.[73] Capital complex of seven hills east worm your way in the Spirit landing site was entitled the Columbia Hills; each of decency seven hills was individually named sustenance a member of the crew,[74] reprove the rover explored the summit publicize Husband Hill in 2005.[75] In 2006, the IAU approved naming seven lunar craters after the astronauts.[76]
In February 2006, NASA's National Scientific Balloon Facility was renamed the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility.[77] A supercomputer built in 2004 luck the NASA Advanced Supercomputing Division was named "Columbia".[78] The first part set in motion the system, named "Kalpana", was enthusiastic to Chawla, who had worked test the Ames Research Center before bordering on the Space Shuttle program.[79] The prime dedicated meteorological satellite launched by authority Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Metsat-1, was renamed to Kalpana-1 on Feb 5, 2003, after Chawla.[80][81]
In 2003, representation airport in Amarillo, Texas, where Partner was from, was renamed to primacy Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport.[82] Cool mountain peak in the Sangre introduce Cristo Range in the Colorado Range was renamed Columbia Point