New Columbia Disaster Report.

[hendogg311]

Saw that NASA has released a new report on the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster regarding the final moments of the crew. They mention suit, seat, and pressurization problems which lead to the crew's death. (Not to mention tumbling through the edge of the atmosphere at 10-17000 mph.)

I found a video on Youtube which shows the flightdeck at the start of re-entry. The two mission specialists in behind the the commander and pilot are interested in taking photos and video than getting their gloves on so they can secure their suits. At time 6:47 Shuttle Commander Rick Husband even mentions to the crew about getting their suits secured.

I know the crew was doomed regardless if they had their suits on or not. But it just seems like the attitude was "I'm up here to have fun" rather than "I'm a professional astronaut."

 

[OUSOONER]

I know the crew was doomed regardless if they had their suits on or not. But it just seems like the attitude was "I'm up here to have fun" rather than "I'm a professional astronaut."

I read the news article. Obviously we don't have the whole report..so I don't know how you got that impression from what little you (we) know.

They were professionals and it's hard to speculate on something like that without knowing what they were going through. From what I read, that is hardly the impression I got.

 

[FlyinSpy]

The full report is downloadable in 4 segments from CNN's website:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/space/12/30/columbia.shuttle.disaster/index.html

It's a well done and extremely thorough report, and makes for interesting (if grim) reading. As was mentioned, a number of the crew did not have all their gear (gloves and/or helmets) on, and several were not completely strapped in. The report makes the comment that "The deorbit preparation period of shuttle missions is so busy that crew members frequently do not have enough time to complete the deorbit preparation tasks (suit donning, seat ingress, strap-in, etc.) prior to the deorbit burn (see Recommendation L1-2)."

It's 400 pages long, with lots (and lots...) of detail. I would suggest downloading the first section, reading the Exec Summary & Table of Contents, and then cherry-picking a section that caught your interest.

 

[bubblehead]

I read the full report today (~400 pages). If you have the time, it's worth the read. There are some redacted sections, so stand by.

NASA Columbia report, part 1

NASA Columbia report, part 2

NASA Columbia report, part 3

NASA Columbia report, part 4

At least we can all breath a sigh of relief knowing that the crew were all unconscious -- due to a rapid depressurization of the cabin, from an altitude between ~63,500 and 135,000 feet -- prior to the Forebody Breakup Sequence (i.e., disintegration).

From part 3, page 2-90:
Although no quantitative conclusion can be made regarding the cabin depressurization rate, it is probable that the cabin depressurization rate was high enough to incapacitate the crew in a matter of seconds.

The depressurization incapacitated the crew members so rapidly that they were
not able to lower their helmet visors.

 

[hendogg311]

I realize there was nothing they could have done to change the outcome of this tragic event. It's just suprising that the crew wasn't properly secured in their suits or seats. They are wearing pressure suits to protect them in the event of a depressurization. Maybe NASA will require astronauts to have their suits pressurized.

Brings up another point. Pilots of the SR-71 and U-2 wear pressure suits. Are they pressurized all the time?

 

[sevenhelmet]

Brings up another point. Pilots of the SR-71 and U-2 wear pressure suits. Are they pressurized all the time?

Yes and no. The suit is designed to keep your body below a certain pressure altitude (something like 25K equivalent) in very high flying aircraft where the cabin altitude might be high enough to cause the bends/hypoxia. However, the cabin is pressurized as well; so the suit isn't providing ALL the pressurization (adds to safety and improves mobility over a completely pressurized suit.) For Naval aircraft, you are required to have a pressure suit any time the cabin altitude will exceed 25,000 feet.

If the cabin loses pressure, the suit "inflates", i.e. the pressure differential becomes greater between the suit and outside, so it appears to suddenly inflate (it's really the outside pressure that is changing.) The exact mechanics of it are no doubt different between aircraft. Not sure how the shuttle's system works.

 

[Rocketman]

Brings up another point. Pilots of the SR-71 and U-2 wear pressure suits. Are they pressurized all the time?

In part 4, page 3-45 of the report there is additional information on an SR-71 breakup that you can read.

 

[Uncle Fester]

I read a pretty good book on the Columbia crash (Comm Check:The Final Flight of Shuttle Columbia by Michael Cabbage). It didn't really bring up much about crew ORM-type things, but quite a bit about NASA's flight managers and how they managed to forget/un-learn/rationalize away the lessons of Challenger. The culture of NASA seems very different from military aviation, especially WRT risk management and authority of the Shuttle Commander, which I find odd since NASA's astronuat corps is so heavily influenced and populated by military aviators.

 

[Slammer2]

Interesting....I havent read anywhere near even half of this but a lot of details. Then again this sort of thing is interesting to me

 

[HooverPilot]

For Naval aircraft, you are required to have a pressure suit any time the cabin altitude will exceed 25,000 feet.

Not quite. In the COD Community, we do not have pressure suits, but the aircraft can go over 25,000'. Normally we are pressurized, but we are the COD. I believe the actual # is 50,000' for a pressure suit, but it is new years eve and 29 minutes to midnight. I don't want to look it up in the 3710.

 

[Flash]

For Naval aircraft, you are required to have a pressure suit any time the cabin altitude will exceed 25,000 feet.

Not quite. In the COD Community, we do not have pressure suits, but the aircraft can go over 25,000'. Normally we are pressurized, but we are the COD.

That is the difference, pressurization. I went up to FL410 in a Prowler and we were still well below 25,000' pressurization. And like any other old Navy aircraft, it can be iffy sometimes.

 

[HuggyU2]

For the David Clark-made pressure suits that are flown in the U-2 and SR-71 programs, it is designed to keep your body from going above 35000'. The U-2 cabin pressure is 29000 when at 70000'. If you were to lose cabin pressure (seal failure, flameout, ejection, inflight breakup, etc...), the aneroids in the suit would sense the rising altitude and shut off the suit, keeping the suit's internal altitude at 35000'.

When NASA cranked up the Shuttle program about 30 years ago, they started with the same suits the U-2/SR crews used. Over time, they make lots of changes to deal with their unique needs, but it's probably still the same basic suit. I'll bet David Clark still makes it. I think they're the only US company making pressure suits.

As per USAF regs, flying above 50,000' requires a pressure suit. Apparently, the F-22 has a waiver for that.

 

[scoolbubba]

Does that suit puff up if you lose pressure in the cockpit? Trapped gas and all...