The Break-Up
I wanted to recommend you take the time to skim through the recently released NASA report detailing the last fatal moments of the space shuttle Columbia, which broke up during re-entry in 2003. There’s something quite fascinating about imagining what it was like for the astronauts during their final moments, and this report details what probably happened to them. Basically: 1) An alarm went off warning them of a problem; 2) The shuttle went increasingly out of control for about 40 seconds; 3) The shuttle depressurized as it began to break apart; 4) The astronauts all went unconscious; 5) The lack of upper body restraint in the cabin caused the astronauts’ upper bodies to flop about unprotected as the cabin spun violently; 6) They died from lethal trauma.
The entire fascinating (and huge) report can be read on the L.A. Times website (PDF file):
Columbia Crew Survival Investigation Report
You know what I always thought was the saddest part of the whole sad affair? The fact that those seven people’s death warrant was signed when they took off and lost that insulation. They were calling the take-off a success, called the mission a success, right up to the end, when in fact it was doomed from the start, and nobody knew.
I was into astronomy a bit as a child, but the idea of outer space terrified me for some weird reasons. This reminds of that.
@MoxieHart
Outer space kinda freaks me out too. I think because it truly is the last great unknown in our world. The idea of aliens scare me and “realistic” alien movies really freak me out. It is that feeling of utter helplessness I think. And the idea that it really IS possible for there to be other life forms out there somewhere….
I don’t believe in aliens, so they never scared me. (Peltny enough scary beings right on earth. Jus tread the MFDJ archives if you doubt that.) But outer space always did strike me as creepy, because of it’s very “nothingness.” No air, no light… and I once read a line in a science answer book that really gave me the creeps; talking about the temperature of the various layers of the atmosphere, it said “exosphere, above 435 miles. In this layer, temperature no longer has any meaning.” The idea that a space could be without temperature, well, that one not only seemed creepy, it seemed downright wrong.
Aimee, that’s part of what freaked me out. Well, that and the no air pressure. Imagine going out of your spaceship with no suit and just exploding? Then I saw Event Horizon and that just confirmed my ideas.
I particularly liked how people in Texas were picking up chunks of charred astronaut meat and bones after the crash…
@mark
I know, how lucky, huh? Some of us can but dream of charred chunks of astronaut falling on us!
I dream of a toilet from outer space falling on me…
@MoxieHart
Sounds a bit like “Dead Like Me” – so sad they cancelled that show.