Challenger and Columbia Disasters

There was a small flame on the ET (External Tank) Space Shuttle Challenger was so high into the sky at that time that mission control could not see it. They continued for throttle up which releases more power to help Challenger get through the atmosphere. Dick Scobee said: "Roger. Go for throttle up." That was the last that was heard. My guess is the ET, which contains very flammable liquids, caught on fire. It burned the shuttle and everyone in it. No one can be certain because the last words were confirming throttle up. Then nothing. Hope this helps!

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That is not quite what happened, though that makes sense from looking at the video.

To answer the original question, there is evidence that would indicate the astronauts died after falling from 9 miles up. The oxygen levels in their tanks indicate that they were alive for a long time after the explosion.

The explosion was due to on O-ring problem that engineers had been telling management about since 1977 (9 years prior to launch). The day before the launch, there were 4 engineers basically screaming at management to not launch, but they did anyway. The two main factors contributing to the failure were flawed design and cold temperature (they launched on a day that was 19 degrees F colder than the engineers had specified).

Liftoff was at 11:38:00.010 Eastern Standard Time. The O-ring failure developed almost immediately, leading to the explosion and breaking apart of the shuttle 73 seconds into the flight.

A space shuttle is launched into space using powerful rockets. Once in space, it uses onboard thrusters to maneuver and adjust its course. The shuttle then re-enters the Earth's atmosphere and glides back to a landing site like a plane.

Life in space is a challenge for humans because you can't breathe like you do in earth as in space, you always eat dried food, and people who move in their sleep have to deal with being strapped to their bed.

The Canadarm is a renowned Canadian robotic arm used on the Space Shuttle program. After retiring in 2011, it was replaced by the Canadarm2 on the International Space Station. The original Canadarm is now displayed at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa.

Crew members of the International Space Station typically stay for about six months before returning to Earth and being replaced by new crew members. This allows for a consistent presence on the station while still providing opportunities for astronauts to rotate in and out regularly.

Physicist Richard Feynman was part of the committee that investigated the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986. He famously conducted an experiment where he demonstrated the O-ring seal's failure in cold temperature, which was identified as the cause of the explosion. His efforts played a significant role in understanding the technical and organizational failures that led to the accident.

The Columbia Space Shuttle broke apart upon re-entry into Earth's atmosphere on February 1, 2003, resulting in the tragic loss of all seven crew members on board. The accident was caused by damage to the shuttle's thermal protection system, which occurred during liftoff when a piece of foam insulation struck the shuttle's left wing.

The Columbia Space Shuttle explosion had a significant impact on the space program, leading to a 29-month suspension of the Space Shuttle program. It resulted in enhanced safety measures, changes in the shuttle's design, and a reevaluation of NASA's safety culture. The tragedy also highlighted the risks involved in space exploration and the importance of continuous learning and improvement in space missions.

The part of the spaceshuttle the crew from the challenger were sitting in landed in the ocean upon explosion and all 7 crew members were found inside dead.

The two space shuttles that exploded were the Challenger in 1986 and the Columbia in 2003. Both tragedies resulted in the loss of all crew members on board.

it was caused by the leacking of the right solid rocket booster field joint. the fire eruped and burned thru the enternal tank. then seconds after the tank ignited, the orbiter(rocket) ripped apart

The Space Shuttle could accommodate a maximum crew of seven astronauts. This included two pilots and up to five mission specialists.

Our beloved astronauts felt nothing as they were incinerated in less than a couple of seconds. The answer to your question is 'No'.

Wrong! They were alive and probably fully aware until the crew capsule impacted the water. They died of injuries from that collision. Sorry to burst your bubble with nasty facts, but I read the report on the findings when it came out.

The Canadarm was built by the Canadian Space Agency in partnership with NASA to assist with space missions, including satellite deployment, spacecraft maintenance, and astronaut assistance during spacewalks. Its development showcased Canadian technological expertise and contributed to international space collaboration.

Jobs involved in a successful shuttle mission include astronauts, mission control personnel, engineers, technicians, and scientists. Astronauts are responsible for operating the spacecraft, conducting experiments, and performing spacewalks. Mission control personnel manage the mission from the ground, monitoring systems and providing guidance to the astronauts. Engineers and technicians are responsible for designing, building, and maintaining the shuttle and its systems, while scientists design and analyze experiments conducted during the mission.

The space shuttle Challenger exploded on January 28, 1986 during its 10th mission, resulting in the tragic loss of all seven crew members on board.

The Challenger space shuttle, designated as Challenger 7, exploded on January 28, 1986, shortly after its launch. The tragic event occurred 73 seconds into its flight, resulting in the loss of all seven crew members on board.

The purpose of the Challenger mission in 1986, specifically the ill-fated Challenger STS-51-L mission, was to deploy a communication satellite called TDRS-B. Additionally, the mission was meant to highlight teacher Christa McAuliffe's participation as the first private citizen selected to fly in space through NASA's Teacher in Space Project. Tragically, the mission ended in disaster when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after launch, resulting in the loss of all seven crew members.

The NASA space shuttle Challenger was named after HMS Challenger, a British Naval vessel used for research in the 1870s that sailed the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

It is a misconception that the Challenger exploded, or that it was destroyed by the explosion of the fuel in the External Fuel Tank. That's not true. Challenger was destroyed by Aerodynamic Breakup, which is what happens to an aircraft traveling at supersonic speeds that is suddenly thrown out of its flight profile. The resulting G-Forces on the aircraft are too strong for the aircraft to endure, and it breaks up in flight.

Another false conception is that the Astronauts all died when the orbiter broke up - that's also not the case. Astonauts are secured by harness in their seats in full environmental suits upon liftoff. The crew cabin is reinforced to withstand impacts and other stresses, and is designed to detach during a catastrophic failure. Several of the Astronauts survived the breakup, but died upon impact when it crashed into the ocean. We know this because several oxygen bottles used by them were almost completely depleted, and there was evidence that at least one had attempted to help another.

Although this wasn't determined until after the investigation took place, the reason that many believe it exploded is that the rapid burn rate of the ruptured fuel from the EFT made it appear that it had exploded in mid-air.

The official cause of the accident is the failure of starboard (right side) SRB O-Ring, leading to solid fuel propellant leakage at the SRB joint. The propellant burned through the lower SRB strut, causing it to separate, rotate and detach from the External Fuel Tank (EFT). This action broke open the tank, releasing liquid Hydrogen and Oxygen from the tank. Ignited by the SRB's exhaust flames, the fuel rapidly burned and propelled the Orbiter out of an aerodynamic flight profile at over Mach 3. This led to aerodynamic breakup of the Orbiter.

Solid Rocket Boosters are the 2 white rockets outside the external tank which help propel the shuttle into orbit. The EFT is the orange external tank the shuttle attaches to - it contains liquid Hydrogen and liquid Oxygen in separate tanks, and acts as a huge "gas tank" for the shuttle's main engines.

The solid fuel propellant in the SRB's are set into different sections and separated by huge O-rings, flexible band seals that allow the SRB to flex in flight. The temperature that week was extremely cold for Florida, with ice having to be knocked off of the launch pad areas. Being of a rubber material, the O-rings were extremely susceptible to the cold, and became stiff, losing their flexible properties. When the Challenger lifted off, since the seals could not function properly to prevent propellant gases from leaking, they ignited and burned through the lower attachment strut, leading to catastrophic failure.

The real tragedy is that it could have been prevented. Engineers from Morton-Thiokol, the makers of the SRB, warned NASA administrators of a possible O-ring failure, but since there was no actual test evidence that it could happen, and because of the pressures of getting the shuttle into orbit, NASA did not heed the warning and authorized the launch anyway. The rest is history.

There is a video DVD on the Challenger Accident which is the official NASA report on the accident. It's available on NASA themed DVD at Best Buy and similar stores. Although it's technical in its presentation, I first saw it as part of my orientation into NASA QA procedures 17 years ago. I worked on Manned Flight and other NASA programs for 9 years, retiring in '99 before the Columbia accident. It could have been prevented as well, but many factors led to the NASA culture that let it happen then.

There have been no human space missions to Mars. The only missions to Mars to date have been through flybys with space craft, orbiters, and land rovers.

Space Shuttle Challenger was launched on April 4, 1983.

Disadvantage: High costs of production and operation, environmental impact from rocket launches, and limited cargo capacity.

Advantage: Rapid transportation of cargo and humans to space, ability to deploy satellites and space probes, and potential for exploring other planets.

When an object moves through the air very, very fast the air pressing on the object gets extremely hot (thousands of degrees). This happens to the Shuttle when it reenters the Earth's atmosphere at the end of every mission. There are panels on the Shuttle that protect it from this heat during reentry.

When Colombia was launched a piece of insulating foam on the big orange fuel tank came off and hit the wing of the Shuttle (the Orbiter) making a hole in these protective panels. Later, during reentry, this let the hot gasses generated during reentry to get inside the wing. This began a set of cascading failures that resulted in the Shuttle dissentigrating -- breaking up.

It did not crash, it dissentirated in the air.