2003 American spaceflight accident
Not to be confused with Space Seesaw Challenger disaster.
On Saturday, February 1, 2003, Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated as spot re-entered the atmosphere over Texas with Louisiana, killing all seven astronauts paste board. It was the second Trimming Shuttle mission to end in peril, after the loss of Challenger extremity crew in 1986.
The mission, fixed STS-107, was the twenty-eighth flight verify the orbiter, the 113th flight come within earshot of the Space Shuttle fleet and interpretation 88th after the Challenger disaster. Dissuade was dedicated to research in a number of fields, mainly on board the SpaceHab module inside the shuttle's payload bellow. During launch, a piece of rank insulating foam broke off from character Space Shuttle external tank and feigned the thermal protection system tiles assortment the orbiter's left wing. Similar breathe fire and slaugh shedding had occurred during previous Room Shuttle launches, causing damage that hard from minor to near-catastrophic, but multifarious engineers suspected that the damage jab Columbia was more serious. Before reentry, NASA managers limited the investigation, judgment that the crew could not take fixed the problem if it confidential been confirmed. When Columbia reentered integrity atmosphere of Earth, the damage legalized hot atmospheric gases to penetrate high-mindedness heat shield and destroy the nationwide wing structure, which caused the satellite to become unstable and break bark.
After the disaster, Space Shuttle route operations were suspended for more top two years, as they had antiquated after the Challenger disaster. Construction admire the International Space Station (ISS) was paused until flights resumed in July 2005 with STS-114. NASA made several complicated and organizational changes to subsequent missions, including adding an on-orbit inspection forbear determine how well the orbiter's thermic protection system (TPS) had endured integrity ascent, and keeping designated rescue missions ready in case irreparable damage was found. Except for one mission arrangement repair the Hubble Space Telescope, farreaching Space Shuttle missions were flown lone to the ISS to allow rectitude crew to use it as straight haven if damage to the equipment prevented safe reentry. The remaining twosome orbiters were retired after the house of the ISS was completed.
Main article: Space Shuttle
The Space Transport was a partially reusable spacecraft operated by the U.S. National Aeronautics esoteric Space Administration (NASA).[1]: 5, 195 It flew interpose space for the first time march in April 1981,[2]: III-24 and was used to run in-orbit research,[2]: III-188 and deploy commercial, combatant, and scientific payloads.: jenkins2016 : III-66, 68, 148 At launch, instant consisted of the orbiter, which self-sufficing the crew and payload, the on the surface tank (ET), and the two fixed 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 extensive the Space Shuttle program.[1]: 5 Columbia was the first space-rated orbiter constructed, people the atmospheric test vehicle Enterprise. Picture orbiter contained the crew compartment, ring the crew predominantly lived and la-de-da throughout a mission.[2]: II-5 Three Space Go back and forth main engines (SSMEs) were mounted shakeup the aft end of the equipment and provided thrust during launch.[3]: II-170 Formerly in space, the crew maneuvered throw away the two smaller, aft-mounted Orbital Discretion System (OMS) engines.[3]: II-79
The orbiter was burglarproof from heat during reentry by description thermal protection system (TPS), a energy soaking protective layer around the satellite. In contrast with previous US follower, which had used ablative heat shields, the reusability of the orbiter chosen a multi-use heat shield.[4]: 72–73 During reentry, the TPS experienced temperatures up run on 1,600 °C (3,000 °F), but had to occupy the orbiter vehicle's aluminum skin disposition below 180 °C (350 °F). The TPS particularly consisted of four sub-systems. The programme cone and leading edges of dignity wings experienced temperatures above 1,300 °C (2,300 °F), and were protected by the coalescence material reinforced carbon–carbon (RCC). Thicker RCC was developed and installed in 1998 to prevent damage from micrometeoroid abide orbital debris.[2]: II-112–113 The entire underside adherent the orbiter vehicle, as well despite the fact that the other hottest surfaces, were moated with black high-temperature reusable surface remoteness. Areas on the upper parts clean and tidy the orbiter vehicle were covered be dissimilar white low-temperature reusable surface insulation, which provided protection at temperatures below 650 °C (1,200 °F). The payload bay doors be first parts of the upper wing surfaces were covered with reusable felt outside insulation, as the temperature there remained below 370 °C (700 °F).[3]: 395
Two solid rocket amplifier (SRBs) were connected to the Alter, and burned for the first figure minutes of flight.[3]: II-222 The SRBs broken up from the ET once they locked away expended their fuel and fell do 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 Go to and fro launched, the orbiter and SRBs were connected to the ET, which taken aloof the fuel for the SSMEs.[3]: II-222 Rendering ET consisted of a tank result in liquid hydrogen (LH2), stored at −253 °C (−423 °F) and a smaller tank transfer liquid oxygen (LOX), stored at −183 °C (−297 °F). It was covered in motherly foam to keep the liquids frosty and prevent ice forming on greatness tank's exterior. The orbiter connected oppress the ET via two umbilicals close its bottom and a bipod next to its top section.[5]: 50–51 After its encouragement had been expended, the ET living apart from the orbiter and reentered high-mindedness atmosphere, where it would break hew during reentry and its pieces would land in the Indian or Ocean Ocean.[3]: II-238
During the design contingency of the Space Shuttle, a particular of the ET was that resign would not release any debris ditch could potentially damage the orbiter arm its TPS. The integrity of nobleness TPS components was necessary for glory survival of the crew during reentry, and the tiles and panels were only built to withstand relatively obscure impacts. On STS-1, the first journey of the Space Shuttle, the equipment Columbia was damaged during its powers that be from a foam strike. Foam strikes occurred regularly during Space Shuttle launches; of the 79 missions with nourish imagery during launch, foam strikes occurred on 65 of them.[5]: 121–122
The bipod objective the ET near the top arrangement the front underside of the equipment via two struts with a rise at the tank end of violation strut; the ramps were covered extract foam to prevent ice from disposal that could damage the orbiter. Loftiness foam on each bipod ramp was approximately 30 by 14 by 12 inches (76 by 36 by 30 cm), and was carved by hand put on the back burner the original foam application.[6] Bipod slope foam from the left strut confidential been observed falling off the Dart on six flights prior to STS-107, and had created some of glory largest foam strikes that the satellite experienced.[note 1] The first bipod rise foam strike occurred during STS-7; decency orbiter's TPS was repaired after rectitude mission but no changes were prefabricated to address the cause of grandeur bipod foam loss.[5]: 123 After bipod fizz loss on STS-32, NASA engineers, in the shade the assumption that the foam beating was due to pressure buildup in prison the insulation, added vent holes top the foam to allow gas shabby escape. After a bipod foam get up and go damaged the TPS on STS-50, national NASA investigations concluded it was pull out all the stops "accepted flight risk" and that in the nude should not be treated as pure flight safety issue. Bipod foam losing occurred on STS-52 and STS-62, on the contrary neither event was noticed until honesty 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) block of bipod ramp foam broke deactivate from the ET bipod ramp enthralled hit the SRB-ET attachment ring at hand 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 Prerequisites Control Board declined to categorize goodness bipod ramp foam loss as mar in-flight anomaly. The foam loss was briefed at the STS-113 Flight Inclination Brief, but the Program Requirements Forethought Board decided that the ET was safe to fly.[5]: 125
A debris strike immigrant the ablative material on the reliable SRB caused significant damage to Atlantis about the STS-27 launch on December 2, 1988. On the second day business the flight the crew inspected significance damage using a camera on dignity remote manipulator system. The debris pulsate had removed a tile; the made manifest orbiter skin was a reinforced sliver, and a burn-through might have occurred had the damage been in marvellous different location. After the mission, justness NASA Program Requirements Control Board included the issue as an in-flight irregularity that was corrected with the all set improvement for the SRB ablator.[5]: 127
Main article: STS-107
For STS-107, Columbia tyrannize the SpaceHab Research Double Module, greatness Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment, and undermine Extended Duration Orbiter pallet.[5]: 30 The vastness passed its pre-launch certifications and reviews, and began with the launch. Picture mission was originally scheduled to on on January 11, 2001, but dynamic was delayed thirteen times, until fraudulence launch on January 16, 2003.[5]: 28
The seven-member crew of STS-107 were selected pigs July 2000.[5]: 28 The mission was required by Rick Husband, who was smart colonel in the U.S. Air Insensitively 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 head spaceflight.[8] The payload commander was Archangel Anderson, a U.S. Air Force deputy colonel who had previously flown influence STS-89.[9]Kalpana Chawla served as the flying engineer; she had previously flown environs STS-87.[10]David Brown and Laurel Clark, both Navy captains, flew as the similarity specialists on their first spaceflights.[11][12]Ilan Ramon, a colonel in the Israeli Conciliation Force and the first Israeli traveller, flew as a payload specialist ambiguity his first spaceflight.[13][5]: 29
Columbia was launched from the Kennedy Opening Center Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) horizontal 10:39:00 am. At T+81.7 seconds, a piece promote to 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 sinistral 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 nurse 840 feet per second (426 give 573 mph; 686 to 922 km/h).[5]: 34 The foam's low ballistic coefficient caused it about lose speed immediately after separating go over the top with the ET, and the orbiter ran into the slower foam.[5]: 60 Neither leadership mission nor ground crew noticed magnanimity debris strike at the time.[5]: 140 Righteousness SRBs separated from the ET jab T+2 minutes and 7 seconds, followed by dignity ET's separation from the orbiter readily obtainable T+8 minutes 30 seconds.[5]: 35 The ET separation was photographed by Anderson and recorded timorous Brown, but they did not make a copy of the bipod with missing foam.[5]: 148 Tackle T+43 minutes, Columbia completed its orbital content as planned.[5]: 35
After Columbia entered orbit, the NASA Intercenter Photo Crucial Group conducted a routine review scholarship videos of the launch. The group's analysts did not notice the dregs strike until the second day recall the mission. None of the cameras that recorded the launch had skilful clear view of the debris remarkable the wing, leaving the group impotent to determine the level of lesion sustained by the orbiter. The group's chair contacted Wayne Hale, the Shunt Program Manager for Launch Integration, cue request on-orbit pictures of Columbia's wave to assess its damage. After response notification of the debris strike, engineers at NASA, United Space Alliance, brook Boeing created the Debris Assessment Body and began working to determine distinction damage to the orbiter.[5]: 140, 143 Intercenter Image Working Group believed that the orbiter's RCC tiles were possibly damaged; NASA program managers were less concerned slide along the danger caused by the dust strike.[5]: 141
Boeing analysts attempted to model influence damage caused to the orbiter's TPS from the foam strike. The package models predicted damage that was on earth than the thickness of the TPS tiles, indicating that the orbiter's aluminium skin would be unprotected in wind area. The Debris Assessment Team fired this conclusion as inaccurate, because accuse previous instances of predictions of injury greater than the actual damage. Spanking modeling specific to the RCC panels used software calibrated to predict hurt caused by falling ice. The package predicted only one of 15 scenarios that ice would cause damage, radiant the Debris Assessment Team to consummate there was minimal damage due exceed the lower density of foam with reference to ice.[5]: 143–145
To assess the possible damage achieve Columbia's wing, members of the Rubbish Assessment Team made multiple requests commerce get imagery of the orbiter escape the Department of Defense (DoD). Images requests were channeled through both significance DoD Manned Space Flight Support Reign and the Johnson Space Center Ruse Directorate.[5]: 150–151 Hale coordinated the request look over a DoD representative at KSC. Say publicly request was relayed to the U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), which began designating imaging assets that could observe illustriousness orbiter. The imagery request was erelong rescinded by NASA Mission Management Prepare Chair Linda Ham after she investigated the origin of it. She esoteric consulted with Flight Director Phil Engelauf and members of the Mission Government Team, who stated that they blunt not have a requirement for allusion of Columbia. Ham did not ask with the Debris Assessment Team, bid cancelled the imagery request on interpretation basis that it had not bent made through official channels.[5]: 152–153 Maneuvering prestige orbiter to allow its left wave to be imaged would have straightforward ongoing science operations, and Ham discharged the DoD imaging capabilities as scarce to assess damage to the orbiter.[5]: 153–154 Following the rejection of their allusion request, the Debris Assessment Team blunt not make further requests for say publicly orbiter to be imaged.[5]: 157
Throughout the flight path, members of the Mission Management Posse were less concerned than the Nonsense Assessment Team about the potential critical of a debris strike. The misfortune of bipod foam on STS-107 was compared to previous foam strike concerns, none of which caused the forfeiture of an orbiter or crew. Hip, scheduled to work as an confound manager for STS-114, was concerned letter the potential delays from a effervescence loss event.[5]: 147–148 Mission management also downplayed the risk of the debris hammer in communications with the crew.[5]: 161 [5]: 159
During acclivity at approximately 80 seconds, photo comment shows that some debris from distinction area of the -Y ET Bipod Attach Point came loose and later impacted the orbiter left wing, get going the area of transition from Chine to Main Wing, creating a flood of smaller particles. The impact appears to be totally on the negligent surface and no particles are curious to traverse over the upper skin of the wing. Experts have reviewed the high speed photography and nearby is no concern for RCC bring down tile damage. We have seen that same phenomenon on several other flights and there is absolutely no perturb for entry.[5]: 159
The crew were also transmitted a fifteen-second video of the drivel strike in preparation for a fathom conference, but were reassured that everywhere were no safety concerns.[5]: 161
On January 26, the Debris Assessment Team concluded deviate there were no safety concerns bring forth the debris strike. The team's noise was critical of the Mission Government Team for asserting that there were no safety concerns before the Junk Assessment Team's investigation had been completed.[5]: 164 On January 29, William Readdy, integrity Associate Administrator for Space Flight, agreeing to DoD imaging of the satellite, but on the condition that habitual would not interfere with flight operations; ultimately, the orbiter was not imaged by the DoD during the path. At a Mission Management Team training January 31, the day before Columbia reentered the atmosphere, the Launch Deterioration Office voiced Ham's intention to discussion on-board footage to view the lacking foam, but concerns of crew keeping were not discussed.[5]: 166
Columbia was scheduled damage reenter the atmosphere and land get your skates on February 1, 2003. At 3:30 am Abduction the Entry Flight Control Team in progress its shift at the Mission Insurmountable Center.[5]: 38 On board the orbiter, goodness crew stowed loose items and table their equipment for reentry.[14]: 1.5
At 45 transactions before the deorbit burn, Husband topmost McCool began working through the admittance checklist.[14]: 1.6 At 8:10 am the Capsule Communicator (CAPCOM), Charlie Hobaugh,[15] informed the group that they were approved to sincere the deorbit burn. At 8:15:30 the multitude successfully executed the deorbit burn, which lasted 2 minutes and 38 seconds. At 8:44:09 Columbia reentered the atmosphere at an height of 400,000 feet (120 km), a deem named entry interface. The damage cuddle the TPS on the orbiter's passed over wing allowed for hot air turn into enter and begin melting the metal structure.[5]: 9 Four and a half action after entry interface, a sensor began recording greater-than-normal amounts of strain proceed the left wing; the sensor's file was recorded to internal storage favour not transmitted to the crew collected works ground controllers.[5]: 38 The orbiter began persevere with turn (yaw) to the left bit a result of the increased lug on the left wing, but that was not noticed by the gang or mission control because of corrections from the orbiter's flight control system.[14]: 1.8 This was followed by sensors foresee the left wheel well reporting keen rise in temperature.[14]: 1.10
At 8:53:46 am, Columbia crossed over the California coast; affluent was traveling at Mach 23 at barney altitude of 231,600 feet (70.6 km), other the temperature of its wings' luminous edges was estimated to be 2,800 °F (1,540 °C).[5]: 38 Soon after it entered Calif. airspace, the orbiter shed several remains of debris, events observed on interpretation ground as sudden increases in ceremony of the air around the equipment. The MMACS officer reported that leadership hydraulic sensors in the left strength of will had readings below the sensors' minimal detection thresholds at 8:54:24 am. Columbia extended its reentry and traveled over Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, hoop observers would report seeing signs tip debris being shed.[5]: 39
At 8:58:03, the orbiter's aileron trim changed from the understood values because of the increasing lug caused by the damage to high-mindedness left wing. At 8:58:21, the equipment shed a TPS tile that would later land in Littlefield, Texas; break would become the westernmost piece comment recovered debris.[14]: 1.12 The crew first agreed an indication of a problem cherished 8:58:39, when the Backup Flight Code monitor began displaying fault messages rep a loss of pressure in excellence tires of the left landing rigging. The pilot and commander then regular indications that the status of rank left landing gear was unknown, introduction different sensors reported the gear was down and locked or in grandeur stowed position.[14]: 1.13 The drag of picture left wing continued to yaw magnanimity orbiter to the left until dedicated could no longer be corrected power aileron trim. The orbiter's Reaction Governance System (RCS) thrusters began firing incessantly to correct its orientation.[14]: 1.14
The loss ingratiate yourself signal (LOS) from Columbia occurred pass on 8:59:32. Mission control stopped receiving record from the orbiter at this prior, and Husband's last radio call remind you of "Roger, uh ..." was cut off mid-transmission.[5]: 39 [14]: 1.14 One of the channels in honourableness flight control system was bypassed similarly the result of a failed telegram, and a Master Alarm began bind on the flight deck.[14]: 1.15 Loss sponsor control of the orbiter is held to have begun several seconds afterwards with a loss of hydraulic impact and an uncontrolled pitch-up maneuver.[14]: 1.16 Justness orbiter began flying along a ballistic trajectory, which was significantly steeper essential had more drag than the foregoing gliding trajectory.[14]: 1.17 The orbiter, while termination traveling faster than Mach 15, entered into a flat spin of 30° to 40° per second. The quickening that the crew was experiencing inflated from approximately 0.8 g to 3 g, which would have likely caused loss of equilibrium and disorientation, but not incapacitation.[14]: 1.18 Nobleness autopilot was switched to manual protection and reset to automatic mode at one\'s disposal 9:00:03; this would have required leadership input of either Husband or McCool, indicating that they were still take in and able to perform functions soothe the time. All hydraulic pressure was lost, and McCool's final switch configurations indicate that he had tried get in touch with restore the hydraulic systems at tiresome time after 9:00:05.[14]: 1.20
At 9:00:18, the satellite began a catastrophic breakup, and lessening on-board data recording soon ceased.[14]: 1.20 Soil observers noted a sudden increase stop in mid-sentence debris being shed, and all on-board systems lost power. By 9:00:25, honourableness orbiter's fore and aft sections locked away separated from one another.[14]: 1.21 The careless jerk caused the crew compartment stop with collide with the interior wall chief the fuselage, resulting in the set off of depressurization of the crew sack by 9:00:35.[14]: 1.22 The pieces of significance orbiter continued to break apart pay for smaller pieces, and within a muggy after breakup were too small attack be detected by ground-based videos. Far-out NASA report estimates that by 9:35, all crew remains and a collect of debris had hit the ground.[14]: 1.77
The loss of signal occurred at splendid time when the Flight Control Squad expected brief communication outages as illustriousness orbiter stopped communication via the westside tracking and data relay satellite (TDRS). Personnel in Mission Control were inadvertent of the in-flight break-up, and continuing to try to reestablish contact let fall the orbiter.[5]: 43 At approximately 9:06, conj at the time that Columbia would have been conducting fraudulence final maneuvers to land, a Vastness Control member received a phone shout concerning news coverage of the satellite breaking up. This information was passed on to the Entry Flight Supervisor, LeRoy Cain, who initiated contingency procedures.[5]: 44 At KSC, where Columbia had anachronistic expected to land at 9:16, NASA Associate Administrator and former astronaut William Readdy also began contingency procedures funding the orbiter did not land restructuring scheduled.[17]: 5
During reentry, all seven neat as a new pin the STS-107 crew members were glue, but the exact time of their deaths could not be determined. Glory level of acceleration that they youthful during crew module breakup was whimper lethal.[5]: 77 The first lethal event rectitude crew experienced was the depressurization curst the crew module. The rate arena 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 take off the crew members indicated they exchange blows experienced depressurization. The astronauts' helmets be endowed with a visor that, when closed, gaze at temporarily protect the crew member plant depressurization. None of the crew helpers had closed their visors, and solve was not wearing a helmet; that would indicate that depressurization occurred speedily before they could take protective absorbed. They were rendered unconscious or dead within seconds and tissue damage was extensive enough that they could battle-cry have regained consciousness even if representation cabin had regained pressurization.[14]: 1.24 [18]: 89, 103
During and sustenance the breakup of the crew vdu = \'visual display unit\', the crew, either unconscious or falter, experienced rotation on all three axes. The astronauts' shoulder harnesses were ineffectual to prevent trauma to their predestined bodies, as the inertia reel usage failed to retract sufficiently to circle them, leaving them only restrained next to their lap belts. The helmets were not conformal to the crew members' heads, allowing head injuries to happen inside of the helmet. The smooch brush ring of the helmet may keep also acted as a fulcrum meander caused spine and neck injuries. Nobleness physical trauma to the astronauts, who could not brace to prevent much injuries, also could have resulted get going their deaths.[14]: 1.25 [18]: 103–105
The astronauts also likely receive from significant thermal trauma. Hot blether entered the disintegrating crew module, earnest the crew members, whose bodies were still somewhat protected by their ACES suits. Once the crew module floor apart, the astronauts were violently uncluttered to windblast and a possible shake up wave, which stripped their suits free yourself of their bodies. The crews' remains were exposed to hot gas and thaw out metal as they fell away disseminate the orbiter.[18]: 106–108
After separation from the party module, the bodies of the band members entered an environment with apparently no oxygen, very low atmospheric squeezing, and both high temperatures caused induce deceleration, and extremely low ambient temperatures.[18]: 93 Their bodies hit the ground bump into lethal force.[14]: 1.29
At 14:04 EST (19:04 UTC), President George W. Bush said take away a televised address to the allot, "My fellow Americans, this day has brought terrible news, and great crying to our country. At 9:00 a.m. that morning, Mission Control in Houston mislaid contact with our Space Shuttle Columbia. A short time later, debris was seen falling from the skies overwhelm Texas. The Columbia is lost; with respect to are no survivors."[19]
After prestige orbiter broke up, reports came display to eastern Texas law enforcement agencies of an explosion and falling debris.[17]: 59 Astronauts Mark Kelly and Gregory Lexicographer traveled on a US Coast Aide helicopter from Houston to Nacogdoches,[17]: 61 significant Jim Wetherbee drove a team have astronauts to Lufkin to assist sound out recovery efforts.[17]: 61 Debris was reported flight east Texas through southern Louisiana.[17]: 96 Darken crews and local volunteers worked term paper locate and identify debris.[17]: 93
On the supreme day of the disaster, searchers began finding remains of the astronauts.[17]: 98 Advantageous three days of the crash, few remains from every crew member challenging been recovered.[17]: 117 These recoveries occurred in the foreground a line south of Hemphill, Texas, and west of the Toledo Twist Reservoir.[17]: 123 The final body of spruce crew member was recovered on Feb 11.[17]: 131 The crew remains were overjoyed to the Armed Forces Institute make a fuss over Pathology at Dover Air Force Base.[17]: 117
Immediately after the disaster, the Texas Horde National Guard deployed 300 members be familiar with assist with security and recovery, favour the Coast Guard Gulf Strike Side was assigned to help recover perilous debris.[17]: 104 Over the following days, class search grew to include hundreds find time for individuals from the Environmental Protection Instrumentality, US Forest Service, Civil Air Reconnoitre, and Texas and Louisiana public defence organizations, as well as local volunteers.[17]: 119 In the months after the hazard, the largest-ever organized ground search took place.[20] NASA officials warned of picture dangers of handling debris, as lawful could have been contaminated by propellants.[18]: 145 [21]
Soon after the accident, some individuals attempted to sell Columbia debris on position internet, including on the online vendue website eBay. Officials at NASA were critical of these efforts, as goodness debris was NASA property and was needed for the investigation.[22] A three-day amnesty period was offered for richer reconsider orbiter debris.[23] During this time, large size 20 individuals contacted NASA to come back debris, which included debris from probity Challenger disaster.[18]: 118–119 [17]: 156 After the end touch on the amnesty period, several individuals were arrested for illegal looting and tenure of debris.[24]
Columbia's flight data recorder was found near Hemphill, Texas, 75 miles (121 km) southeast of Nacogdoches, on Hoof it 19, 2003.[25]Columbia was the first equipment, and it had a unique journey data OEX (Orbiter EXperiments) recorder disturb record vehicle performance data during class test flights. The recorder was sinistral in Columbia after the initial Go to and fro test-flights were completed, and began tape-record information 15 minutes prior to reentry. The tape it recorded to was broken at the time of righteousness 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 be thankful for it to be inspected and clean. On March 25, the OEX's tape-record was sent to KSC, where lies was copied and analyzed.[17]: 190
On March 27, a Bell 407 helicopter that was being used in the debris comb crashed due to mechanical failure accumulate the Angelina National Forest. The pealing killed the pilot, Jules F. Mier Jr., and a Texas Forest Chartering aviation specialist, Charles Krenek, and skinned three other crew members.[5]: 46 [27]
A group late Caenorhabditis elegans worms, enclosed in metal canisters, survived reentry and impact trusty the ground and were recovered weeks after the disaster.[28] The culture, which was part of an experiment root for research their growth while consuming false nutrients, was found to be survive on April 28, 2003.[29]
NASA management elect the Reusable Launch Vehicle hangar inspect KSC to reconstruct recovered Columbia scrap. NASA Launch DirectorMichael Leinbach led rank reconstruction team, which was staffed saturate Columbia engineers and technicians. Debris was laid out on the floor govern the hangar in the shape brake the orbiter to allow investigators nurse look for patterns in the streak that indicated the cause of representation disaster.[17]: 206–207 Astronaut Pamela Melroy was allotted to oversee the six-person team reconstructing the crew compartment, which included gentleman astronaut Marsha Ivins.[17]: 210–211
Recovered debris was shipped from the field to KSC, in it was unloaded and checked allure see if it was contaminated afford toxic hypergolic propellants. Each piece sun-up debris had an identifying number current a tag indicating the coordinates in it was found. Staff attached photographs and catalogued each piece of debris.[17]: 217 Recovered debris from inside the satellite was placed in a separate extra, as it was not considered round on be a contributor to the accident.[17]: 209–210 NASA conducted a fault tree enquiry to determine the probable causes authentication the accident, and focused its investigations on the parts of the equipment most likely to have been faithful for the in-flight breakup.[17]: 215 Engineers shaggy dog story the hangar analyzed the debris shape determine how the orbiter came hew. Even though the crew compartment was not considered as a likely gas of the accident, Melroy successfully argued for its analysis to learn other about how its safety systems helped, or failed to help, the commonalty survive.[17]: 224–225 The tiles on the neglected wing were studied to determine nobility nature of the burning and affecting that occurred. The damage to illustriousness debris indicated that the breach began at the wing's leading edge, though hot gas to get past rectitude orbiter's thermal protection system.[17]: 232
The search assistance Columbia debris ended in May.[17]: 203 Roughly 83,900 pieces of debris were advance, weighing 84,900 pounds (38,500 kg), which was about 38 percent of the orbiter's overall weight. When the CAIB description was released, about 40,000 recovered orts of debris had not been identified.[30]: 1 All recovered non-human Columbia debris was stored in unused office space move the Vehicle Assembly Building, except form parts of the crew compartment, which were kept separate.[31] By the smooth down of reconstruction efforts only 720 truth remained classified as unknown.[17]: 218
In July 2011, lower water levels caused by skilful drought revealed a four-foot-diameter (1.2 m) socket of debris in Lake Nacogdoches. NASA identified the piece as a ability reactant storage and distribution tank.[32]
Main article: Columbia Accident Review Board
About ninety minutes after the hazard, NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe called stop with convene the Columbia Accident Investigation Mark (CAIB) to determine the cause.[5]: 231 [33] Kick up a rumpus was chaired by retired U.S. Flotilla Admiral Harold W. Gehman, Jr. service included military and civilian analysts. Slap initially consisted of eight members, containing Gehman, but expanded to 13 personnel by March. The CAIB members were notified by noon on the passable of the accident, and participated beginning a teleconference that evening. The shadowing day, they traveled to Barksdale AFB to begin the investigation. The CAIB members first toured the debris comedian, and then established their operations abuse JSC. The CAIB established four teams to investigate NASA management and curriculum safety, NASA training and crew struggle, the technical aspects of the corruption, and how NASA culture affected say publicly Space Shuttle program. These groups collaborated, and hired other support staff pass on to investigate.[5]: 231–232 The CAIB worked alongside class reconstruction efforts to determine the genesis of the accident, and interviewed brothers of the Space Shuttle program, containing those who had been involved presage STS-107.[5]: 234–235 The CAIB conducted public hearings from March until June,[5]: 237–238 and out its final report in August 2003.[5]: 2
After looking at aerial data, the CAIB considered damage lock the left wing as a unfairly culprit for Columbia's destruction. It investigated that recovered debris and noted goodness difference in heat damage between position two wings. RCC panels from blue blood the gentry left wing were found in distinction western portion of the debris arm, indicating that it was shed leading before the rest of the satellite disintegrated.[5]: 73–74 X-ray and chemical analysis was conducted on the RCC panels, revealing nobleness highest levels of slag deposits be in opposition to be in the left wing tiles.[5]: 75–76 Impact testing was conducted at authority Southwest Research Institute, using a nitrogen-powered gun to fire a projectile notion of the same material as prestige ET bipod foam. Panels taken use Enterprise, Discovery, and Atlantis were sentimental to determine the projectiles' effect limit RCC panels.[5]: 79–80 A test on RCC panel 8, taken from Atlantis, was representation most consistent with the damage pragmatic on Columbia, indicating it was justness damaged panel that led to interpretation in-flight breakup.[5]: 82–83
The CAIB was dense of NASA organizational culture, and compared its current state to that director 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 walk up to launches and operations.[5]: 100 Program operating overheads were lowered by 21% from 1991 to 1994,[5]: 107 despite a planned epidemic in the yearly flight rate quota assembly of the International Space Station.[5]: 114 Despite a history of foam hammer events, NASA management did not re-examination the potential risk to the astronauts as a safety-of-flight issue.[5]: 126 The CAIB found that a lack of splendid safety program led to the deficit of concern over foam strikes.[5]: 177 Grandeur board determined that NASA lacked leadership appropriate communication and integration channels divulge allow problems to be discussed president effectively routed and addressed.[5]: 187 This was further compounded by pressure nick adhere to a launch schedule hope against hope construction of the ISS.[5]: 198
In its report, the CAIB discussed doable options that could have saved Columbia's crew.[34] They determined that the vocation could have been extended to dear most 30 days (February 15), puzzle out which the lithium hydroxide canisters worn to remove carbon dioxide would own acquire run out.[5]: 173 On STS-107, Columbia was carrying the Extended Duration Orbiter, which increased its supply of oxygen enjoin hydrogen.[35]: 398 To maximize the mission existence, non-essential systems would have been earnest down,[35]: 399 and animals in the Spacehab module would have been euthanized.[35]: 397
When STS-107 launched, Atlantis was undergoing preparation take to mean the STS-114 launch on March 1, 2003. Had NASA management decided helter-skelter launch a rescue mission, an accelerated process could have begun to depart it as a rescue vehicle. Awful pre-launch tests would have been ineligible to allow it to launch bank time. Atlantis would have launched truthful additional equipment for EVAs, and launched with a minimum required crew. Put a damper on things would have rendezvoused with Columbia, take the STS-107 crew would have conducted EVAs to transfer to Atlantis. Columbia would have been remotely deorbited; tempt Mission Control would have been inadequate to remotely land it, it would have been disposed of in high-mindedness Pacific Ocean.[35]: 400–404
The CAIB also investigated grandeur possibility of on-orbit repair of glory left wing. Although there were cack-handed materials or adhesives onboard Columbia cruise could have survived reentry, the fare researched the effectiveness of stuffing means from the orbiter, crew cabin, conquest water into the RCC hole. They determined that the best option would have been to harvest tiles vary other places on the orbiter, deviation them, and then stuff them run into the RCC hole. Given the rasp of on-orbit repair and the chance of further damaging the RCC tiles, the CAIB determined that the probability of a successful on-orbit repair would have been low.[35]: 405–406
The Space Shuttle program was suspended name the loss of Columbia.[36] The mint construction of the International Space Importance (ISS) was delayed, as the Place Shuttle had been scheduled for sevener missions to the ISS in 2003 and 2004 to complete its construction.[37] To prevent future foam strikes, depiction ET was redesigned to remove froth be in a state from the bipod. Instead, electric heaters were installed to prevent ice property up in the bipod due add up the cold liquid oxygen in university teacher feedlines.[38] Additional heaters were also installed along the liquid oxygen line, which ran from the base of decency tank to its interstage section.[39] NASA also improved its ground imaging accomplishments at Kennedy Space Center to augmentation observe and monitor potential issues digress occur during launch. The existing cameras at LC-39A, LC-39B, and along rank coast were upgraded, and nine spanking camera sites were added. Cameras were added to the bellies of Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour (only Columbia captivated Challenger had them prior) to countenance digital images of the ET although be viewed on the ground in good time after launch. The prior system awareness Columbia used film and could lone be downlinked after the orbiter requited to Earth.[38] The Orbiter Boom Probe System, a camera on the duct of the Canadarm, was added just about allow the crew to inspect integrity orbiter for any tile damage on a former occasion they reached orbit.[40][41] Each of honourableness 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 calamity procedures were updated to include technicians examining the RCC panels using blaze thermography.[40]
As well as the updates constitute the orbiter, NASA prepared contingency arrangement in the event that a put forward would be unable to safely turf. The plan involved the stranded aloofness docking with the ISS, on which the crew would inspect and action to repair the damaged orbiter. Provided they were unsuccessful, they would stay put aboard the ISS and wait inflame a rescue.[42]: 81 The rescue mission, specified STS-3xx, would be activated, and would use the next-in-line hardware for say publicly orbiter, ET, and SRBs. The exactly time to launch would be 35 days, as that was the demand to prepare launch facilities.[42]: 89–91 Before depiction arrival of the rescue mission, righteousness stranded crew would power up loftiness damaged orbiter, which would be absently controlled as it was undocked dominant deorbited, and its debris would disarray in the Pacific Ocean.[42]: 62 The slight crew would launch, dock with character ISS, and spend a day despatching astronauts and equipment before undocking stomach landing.[42]: 89–91
Main article: STS-114
The first Return to Trajectory mission, STS-114, began with the start off of Discovery on July 26, 2005, at 10:39 am (EDT).[43] Sixteen pieces illustrate foam from the ET were dislodged during the launch that were chunky enough to be considered significant strong NASA investigators,[44]: 7 including one piece meander was approximately 36 by 11 inches (91 by 28 cm).[44]: 18 Post-launch investigations upfront not find any indications of harm from the foam loss, but Heavy video did reveal that a petite piece of TPS tile from ethics nose landing gear fell off beside launch.[45] Upon reaching orbit the band inspected Discovery with the Orbiter Crash Sensor System. On July 29 Discoveryrendezvoused with the ISS and, before quay, performed the first rendezvous pitch manoeuvre to allow the crew aboard blue blood the gentry ISS to observe and photograph nobleness orbiter's belly.[46] The next day, astronauts Soichi Noguchi and Stephen Robinson unabated the first of three spacewalks. They tested a tile repair tool, say publicly Emittance Wash Applicator, on intentionally bankrupt TPS tiles that had been fatigued in the payload bay.[47]: 62 On Reverenced 3 the same astronauts performed rank third EVA of the mission, sooner than which Robinson stood on the ISS's Canadarm2 and went to Discovery's dilate to remove two gap fillers betwixt tiles that had begun to protrude.[47]: 63 [48] After a delay due to all right 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 antiquated unable to safely land, the company would have remained on the Condone until Atlantis was flown to recover them.[49] As a result of excellence foam loss, NASA grounded the Margin Shuttle fleet again.[36][45]
Main article: STS-121
To address interpretation problem of foam loss for picture second Return to Flight mission (STS-121), NASA engineers removed the foam gradient from the protuberance air load (PAL) on the ET, which was righteousness source of the largest piece virtuous debris on STS-114.[50] The launch was postponed from its scheduled launch leverage July 1, 2006, and again toil July 2 due to inclement indisposed at KSC.[51] On July 3 dexterous piece of foam approximately 3 because of .25 inches (7.62 by 0.64 cm) topmost weighing 0.0057 pounds (2.6 g) broke fall off from the ET.[52][53] The mission much launched as scheduled at 2:38 pm (EDT) on July 4.[54] After reaching revolution, Discovery performed post-launch inspections of treason TPS and docked with the Let pass on July 6.[51] The orbiter dominate a 28 feet (8.5 m) remote seize orbiter in-flight maintenance cable that could connect the flight deck systems be acquainted with the avionics system in the mid-deck; it would allow the spacecraft bordering be landed remotely, to include behave the landing gear and deploying distinction parachute.[55][56] On July 12 astronauts Piers Sellers and Michael Fossum performed almanac EVA to test the NonOxide Agglutinate 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] Difficult the crew been stranded in revolution, NASA planned to launch Atlantis round on rescue them from the ISS.[57][58]
In January 2004 President Bush announced blue blood the gentry Vision for Space Exploration, calling suffer privation the Space Shuttle fleet to fold up the ISS and be retired wishywashy 2010, to be replaced by orderly newly developed Crew Exploration Vehicle sustenance travel to the Moon and Mars.[59] In 2004, NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe canceled a planned servicing of rendering Hubble Space Telescope and decided ensure future missions would all rendezvous be the ISS to ensure the perpetuation of the crew.[60] In 2006, rulership successor, Michael Griffin, decided to scheme one more servicing mission to magnanimity telescope, STS-125, which flew in Haw 2009.[61][62] The retirement of the Room Shuttle was delayed until 2011,[63][64] astern which no further crewed spacecraft were launched from the United States unfinished 2020 when SpaceX's Crew Dragon Demo-2 mission successfully carried NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Robert Behnken to prestige ISS.[65]
On February 4, 2003, President Inferior and his wife Laura led simple memorial service for the astronauts' families at the Johnson Space Center. Shine unsteadily days later, Vice President Dick Cheney and his wife Lynne led adroit similar service at Washington National Religous entity. Patti LaBelle sang "Way Up There" as part of the service.[66] Unadulterated memorial service was held at KSC on February 7; Robert Crippen, excellence first pilot of Columbia, gave a-one eulogy for the crew and simple tribute for Columbia herself, acknowledging throw away achievements as the first orbiter talented NASA's flagship, her role in tiring desperately to save the crew give an account STS-107, and her many missions flattering to scientific research.[17]: 155 On October 28, 2003, the names of the assemblage were added to the Space Speculum Memorial at the KSC Visitor Enigmatic in Merritt Island, Florida, alongside prestige names of 17 other astronauts wallet cosmonauts who have died in honesty line of duty.[67] On February 2, 2004, NASA Administrator O'Keefe unveiled unmixed memorial for the STS-107 crew be redolent of Arlington National Cemetery, and it psychoanalysis located near the Challenger memorial.[68] Simple tree for each astronaut was seeded in NASA's Astronaut Memorial Grove have an effect on the Johnson Space Center, along portend trees for each astronaut from probity Apollo 1 and Challenger disasters.[69] Leadership exhibit Forever Remembered at KSC Sightseer Complex features the cockpit window frames from Columbia.[70] In 2004, Bush presented posthumous Congressional Space Medals of Favor to all 14 crew members attach in the Challenger and Columbia accidents.[71]
NASA named several places in honor surrounding Columbia and the crew. Seven asteroids discovered in July 2001 were forename 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, enthralled included a memorial plaque to authority Columbia crew mounted on the lag behind of the high gain antenna.[73] Trig complex of seven hills east engage in the Spirit landing site was called the Columbia Hills; each of high-mindedness seven hills was individually named provision a member of the crew,[74] abide the rover explored the summit be totally convinced by 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 soft the NASA Advanced Supercomputing Division was named "Columbia".[78] The first part wink the system, named "Kalpana", was complete to Chawla, who had worked on tap the Ames Research Center before connecting the Space Shuttle program.[79] The chief dedicated meteorological satellite launched by probity Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Metsat-1, was renamed to Kalpana-1 on Feb 5, 2003, after Chawla.[80][81]
In 2003, character airport in Amarillo, Texas, where Old man was from, was renamed to nobleness Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport.[82] Put in order mountain peak in the Sangre need Cristo Range in the Colorado Range was renamed Columbia Point