'I think they would rather not know. Wouldn't it be better to have a...successful flight and die...'

UK Daily Mail ^ | 2/01/2013

[iowamark]

NASA has revealed that the Columbia crew were not told that the shuttle had been damaged and they might not survive re-entry.

The seven astronauts who died will be remembered at a public memorial service on the 10th anniversary of the disaster this Friday at Florida's Kennedy Space Center.

The shuttle was headed home from a 16-day science mission when it broke apart over Texas on February 1, 2003, because of damage to its left wing.

Ten years ago, experts at NASA's mission control faced the terrible decision over whether to let the astronauts know that they may die on re-entry or face orbiting in space until the oxygen ran out...

There was no way to repair any suspected damage - the crew were far from the International Space Station and had no robotic arm for repairs. It would have taken too long to send up another shuttle to rescue them.

Wayne Hale, who went on to become space shuttle program manager, has written on his blog about the fateful day.

Mr Hale writes: 'After one of the MMTs (Mission Management Team) when possible damage to the orbiter was discussed, he (Flight Director Jon Harpold) gave me his opinion: ''You know, there is nothing we can do about damage to the TPS (Thermal Protection System).'

'"If it has been damaged it's probably better not to know. I think the crew would rather not know. Don't you think it would be better for them to have a happy successful flight and die unexpectedly during entry than to stay on orbit, knowing that there was nothing to be done, until the air ran out?"'...

[Osage Orange]

Who really knows what is truth and what is not...coming from Washington D.C.

[hattend]

Recall Apollo 13 and how those astronauts and engineers beat the odds by improvising.

The only difference being that they couldn't fix the hole in the wing...even if they had the tools, training, oxygen and time.

The crew was dead the minute the insulation hit the wing.

With Apollo 13, they were going to make it back to earth no matter what (safe return trajectory), they just had to keep the crew alive long enough to make it to reentry.

[spel_grammer_an_punct_polise]

“Did “Environmentally Friendly” Materials Cause Shuttle Disaster?”

This was reported by the investigative team after the disaster.

[null and void]

True, the chlorofluorocarbon based Freon™ cleaner which leaves no residue was replace by an ecologically friendly orange peel based terpene cleaner which only leaves a little residue.

Seven dead astronauts, a couple billion in lost materials and missions, but at least the ozone layer is safe.

[FamiliarFace]

Sir, please accept my sincerest gratitude for the sacrifice and loss of your beloved son. I can never thank you nor him enough for my freedom.

[spel_grammer_an_punct_polise]

“The crew were all adults; all highly trained professionals who were aware of the risks involved and of the distinct possibility that they could die on the mission.”

The East Indian lady, Mrs. Chawla, had made comments well before her death, that if there would be a planned trip to Mars she would jump at the chance even if it was a one-way trip and death was assured.

[AmusedBystander]

The crew and the public should have been told. Maybe the Russians had a capsule that could have been sent up quickly or an USAF missile carrying oxygen tanks or any number of things including letting them die up there and retrieving their bodies in whole for later burial.

[null and void]

There is just no way the NASA bureaucrats could have ever told the astronauts.

Telling the truth simply isn’t in the DNA of any government bureaucrat.

Unless there is absolutely no way to avoid it, and then only after at least a decade has passed, and even then expect only a partial truth.

[Jonah Hex]

IMO, NASA managers were wrong not to inform COL Husband since ground crew shouldn't withhold information about the condition of his craft from the mission commander. CDR Sheppard established this principle during John Glenn's flight when he flat out told Glenn there were indications his heat shield was compromised.

Once informed, then it would have been COL Husband's call whether to inform the rest of his crew. To cut him out of the NASA decision loop/chain of command was just plain wrong. I can't help but believe an USAF O-6 like COL Husband would have understood.

[SkyPilot]

Well, as long as NASA management took the time to make sure Muslims felt good about math and science, that’s all that matters.

[mcmuffin]

Am I the only person who has no memory of this event? It was only ten years ago, but the story is completely unfamiliar to me.

I remember it vividly.

Living near KSC waiting for the sonic booms that never happened.

Spent 3 1/2 weeks in eastern Texas searching for debris.

(That's me on the left)

http://www.nasa.gov/missions/shuttle/columbia_recovery_prt.htm

[Houghton M.]

It was morally wrong. Christians used to pray to God that He would spare them an “unprovided” death, an unforeseen death. They prayed that because they wanted the opportunity to prepare for death.

Maybe none of the astronauts were believers. But somehow I rather doubt it.

Even ancient pagan philosophers understood that, because we are not mere animals, preparing for death is the mark of a human being. Not everyone gets the opportunity to do so, which is why Christian teachers always advised people to “see ahead” to death at all points in life (memento mori).

I would think that even secular folk, if they think about it, would appreciate the opportunity to prepare for death.

But whaddah I know.

[Delta Dawn]

I am having somewhat the same reaction as you. The can-do anything attitude of NASA is now, you’re dead, call us when it is over?

I wonder if that secret military spacecraft was developed as a result of this incident.

Without knowing all of the pertinent information pertaining to this incident, it is hard to formulate a way that the astronauts lives could have been saved.

[plain talk]

That link described a possible patch and rescue approaches with probability of success unknown. Trying has to be better than not trying ... Unless you’re NASA and you are worried the whole world will watch your rescue attempt fail. Instead they would prefer to just watch them blow up. It sucks.

[sarasmom]

“I think it was a terrible, cowardly, and shocking decision. The astronauts (and engineers on the ground) might have come up with alternatives if they had known and not been forced into a default give-up. Necessity truly is the mother of invention in situations like that. Recall Apollo 13 and how those astronauts and engineers beat the odds by improvising.”

I would agree 100%... except for the obvious glaring fact that even we, the ignorant public on the ground, knew about the missing insulation chunks, and also knew that it was a very serious concern from shortly after lift-off, and throughout the mission.

Sheesh people!
Yellow journalists can't actually change history after only ten years?
Can they?

[patriot08]

To all who say they should have been told in order to pray and say goodbye to loved ones; they all knew how dangerous the trip was. I imagine they had their affairs in order- prayers..last things they wanted to say. It would have been cruel to tell them. Let them die happy

[yarddog]

I hope I am able to say this when my time comes.

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.

Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

[Carriage Hill]

I remember them both pretty clearly.

I was watching Challenger live at home in NJ, when it exploded.

I was listening to early, local Sat morn Talk Radio, on the way into work in PA, when the reports started coming-in that Columbia was MIA from NASA radar.

I had a real bad feeling. And then the report came-over that it’d burned-up.

I pulled into my Family Farm Business’ driveway to open-up the gates for employees and customers, knelt in prayer and lowered the American Flag on the front of my 20ac property.

Same for 9-11-01; arrived at my Farm Business after an early morning client mtg, and walked-in just after 1st Tower was hit with Dad glued to radio, and yelling about “terrorism attack”. (He’s a highly-decorated WWII US Army Sgt (88 now), D-Day, Battle of The Bulge w/ Patton III Corps, Army Corps Combat Engineers, 26th Infantry “Yankee Division, Metz, Lorraine, Bastogne, Ardennes and shot by Nazi sniper while rescuing down US Troops. He survived, and was shipped to England and then back to America. Now enshrined in ‘Legion of Honor’).

I raced to local Wal-Mart to get their last portable 17” B&B TV to bring back to office, set it up and we all watched replays of 2nd plane hitting and both Towers going down, PA field crash and Pentagon hit. PANG helos and SpecOps troops were using my large, back fields to rendevous, stage and leave. A-10s, F-16s, C-130s etc were flying low and the whole Farm Complex was shaking.

I sent all 28 employees and 200-250 customers home to be with their families on that day.

By now, I was loading AR-10 mags, AR-15 mags, 50cal mags, several tricked-out 12ga Remy 870 pumps & 1187 Autoloaders. I loaded range bags w/ ammo, ear protection etc. I carried Class III (select-fire & suppressed) for 2 weeks in Blackhawk or Eagle Bags, just in case it was an full-blown attack/invasion and TSHTF. I was was “extremely-prepped” at the business, way back then.

The area’s US Military was unbelievably active and ready for anything. (I’ve looked thru the old FR thread; it would have been nice to know about it for info, but I didn’t, and relied on meida websites’ info)

I could tell you tales of JFK’s Assassination... but I digress.

[mylife]

Bin Laden’s brothers plane was on the airfield where I worked.
It slipped away under Gov protection and that was the last airplane I saw in the skys for 2 weeks.
I don’t think it was a conspiracy so much as protecting an innocent relative.

Still, the whole thing was eery.

[DBeers]

Wrong decision. The 'comforting' death argument is an argument employed by the left to make death seem more appealing and acceptable.

The astronauts deserved the chance to confront death head on, settle any unsettled matters, communicate any last wishes, and make any amends thought necessary -as well they had the right to confront the very cause of their death sentence.

In my opinion, the decision was cowardly and self serving.