The exact timing of the death of the crew is unknown ; several crew members are known to have survived the initial breakup of the spacecraft. By design, the orbiter has no escape system, and the impact of the crew compartment at terminal velocity with the ocean surface was too violent to be survivable.
What were the last words of the Challenger crew?
The shuttle broke apart in a fiery explosion just 73 seconds after liftoff. All seven crew members were killed, including teacher Christina McAuliffe whose students were watching on television. In a transcript from the crew’s voice recorder, pilot Michael J. Smith’s last words are “uh-oh” before all data is lost.
How long did the Challenger crew survive?
The seven crew members of the space shuttle Challenger probably remained conscious for at least 10 seconds after the disastrous Jan. 28 explosion and they switched on at least three emergency breathing packs, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said Monday.
What condition were the remains of the Challenger crew?
Challenger came apart — but the crew cabin remained essentially intact , able to sustain its occupants. The explosive force sheared metal assemblies, but was almost precisely the force needed to separate the still-intact crew compartment from the expanding cloud of flaming debris and smoke.
Were the bodies of the Challenger astronauts recovered?
Within a day of the shuttle tragedy, salvage operations recovered hundreds of pounds of metal from the Challenger. In March 1986, the remains of the astronauts were found in the debris of the crew cabin .
Has anyone been lost in space?
A total of 18 people have lost their lives either while in space or in preparation for a space mission, in four separate incidents. All seven crew members died, including Christa McAuliffe, a teacher from New Hampshire selected on a special NASA programme to bring civilians into space. ...
Who was responsible for Challenger disaster?
| Roger Boisjoly | Died January 6, 2012 (aged 73) Nephi, Utah, U.S. | Alma mater University of Massachusetts Lowell | Known for Attempts to prevent the Challenger disaster | Awards AAAS Award for Scientific Freedom and Responsibility (1988) |
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Did the Columbia crew suffer?
Seat restraints, pressure suits and helmets of the doomed crew of the space shuttle Columbia didn’t work well, leading to “lethal trauma” as the out-of-control ship lost pressure and broke apart, killing all seven astronauts, a new NASA report says.
Did families of the Challenger sue NASA?
After the 1986 Challenger disaster, four families of the seven astronauts killed reached out-of-court settlements with the Justice Department for a total of $7.7 million. ... The wife of Challenger pilot Michael Smith sued NASA in 1987 .
Were any of the Columbia crew recovered?
The remains of all seven astronauts who were killed in the space shuttle Columbia tragedy have been recovered, US officials said last night. ... During lift-off on January 16th, a piece of spray-on foam insulation detached from the shuttle’s liquid-fuel tank.
Could the Challenger disaster been prevented?
That’s all it would have taken to prevent the Space Shuttle Challenger accident. But no one made it on that bright, cold day years ago. The result was catastrophic. ... Many months of investigation later, though, it became clear that one phone call could have prevented the accident.
Who was the Challenger crew?
| Spacecraft properties | Crew size 7 | Members Francis R. Scobee Michael J. Smith Ellison S. Onizuka Judith A. Resnik Ronald E. McNair Gregory B. Jarvis S. Christa McAuliffe | Start of mission | Launch date January 28, 1986, 16:38:00 UTC |
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What caused the Challenger disaster?
Hot gases from the rocket had slipped past the O-rings in two of the SRB segments. ... At roughly the 73-second mark after launch, the right SRB triggered the rupture of the external fuel tank. Liquid hydrogen and oxygen ignited , and the explosion enveloped Challenger.
How cold is space?
Far outside our solar system and out past the distant reachers of our galaxy—in the vast nothingness of space—the distance between gas and dust particles grows, limiting their ability to transfer heat. Temperatures in these vacuous regions can plummet to about -455 degrees Fahrenheit (2.7 kelvin) .
Are there bodies in space?
Remains are generally not scattered in space so as not to contribute to space debris. Remains are sealed until the spacecraft burns up upon re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere or they reach their extraterrestrial destinations.
