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Columbia crew could`ve survived if cabin had different design
Washington, Oct 29: The crew of space shuttle Columbia might have survived if the cabin had been designed differently, according to documents released by the independent panel that investigated the accident.
Washington, Oct 29: The crew of space shuttle
Columbia might have survived if the cabin had been designed
differently, according to documents released by the
independent panel that investigated the accident.
The crew cabin, an enclosed pod that sits in the shuttle's nose, remained intact for a time after the Columbia broke apart as it tried to re-enter earth's atmosphere. But when it fell apart, the seven crew members, including India's Kalpana Chawla, died from lack of oxygen and the force of the air that hit them, according to findings of the panel.
The cabin was not designed to withstand such a force, and it was initially assumed nothing could have been done to help the crew survive the breakup of the space shuttle.
However, USA Today quoted James Bagian, a former astronaut who studied crew survival for the Columbia accident investigation board, saying that the cabin could have remained intact if it had been more heat-resistant.
The pod is made of aluminum, which loses strength when exposed to heat.
If the cabin had remained intact and had been designed not to spin as it fell, the astronauts might have been able to parachute to safety, the investigators found.
A Nasa spokesman said yesterday that the agency had just received the documents and was reviewing them.
Bureau Report
The crew cabin, an enclosed pod that sits in the shuttle's nose, remained intact for a time after the Columbia broke apart as it tried to re-enter earth's atmosphere. But when it fell apart, the seven crew members, including India's Kalpana Chawla, died from lack of oxygen and the force of the air that hit them, according to findings of the panel.
The cabin was not designed to withstand such a force, and it was initially assumed nothing could have been done to help the crew survive the breakup of the space shuttle.
However, USA Today quoted James Bagian, a former astronaut who studied crew survival for the Columbia accident investigation board, saying that the cabin could have remained intact if it had been more heat-resistant.
The pod is made of aluminum, which loses strength when exposed to heat.
If the cabin had remained intact and had been designed not to spin as it fell, the astronauts might have been able to parachute to safety, the investigators found.
A Nasa spokesman said yesterday that the agency had just received the documents and was reviewing them.
Bureau Report