4 ways Columbia could have been saved. From NASA's Kennedy Space Center Home Page

NASA's Kennedy Space Center Home Page ^ | 04 February 03 | Mitchel Tighe

[deport]

You are assuming they knew they had a problem withing the 80 seconds....... where do you have that assumption documented?

[jlogajan]

Calling the Whack-a-mole team. Calling the Whack-a-mole team. Please report.

[Tennessee_Bob]

And they knew there was trouble when??

[w1andsodidwe]

Mitchel Tighe signed up 2003-02-05.

[Brett66]

I think the Russian Progress resupply spacecraft could have been reconfigured to resupply the Columbia which would have given them enough time to get another shuttle up there for a rescue attempt. We probably would have to break a lot of safety rules to do something like that, but it wouldn't hurt to have some plans in place just in case.

[lady lawyer]

I'm not a scientist, but here's my guess. They have very clearly said, more than once, that they didn't see the piece of foam hit the orbiter when they were watching the launch, as they said, it is not unusual for ice or debris to fall off the tanks, and you can't see much when you are "looking into the plume." They didn't spot the piece of foam until the next day, when they were carefully reviewing film of the launch.

Once they were out of the earth's atmosphere, any "normal" return meant going through the atmosphere, through the heat which ultimately caused the orbiter to break apart.

[Mitchel Tighe]

Ok, don't go to NASA's URL then. just be a jerk. Thanks!

[Tennessee_Bob]

Here's a quote:

The day after Columbia’s launch, engineers reviewed videotapes of the shuttle’s ascent and spotted what appeared to be a chunk of the foam, breaking off and hitting the shuttle.

Hmmm....wonder what his answer will be?

[Tennessee_Bob]

just be a jerk.

Name calling right out of the gate. If you're going to post a theory here, better be prepared to defend it.

[Mitchel Tighe]

Even if it was after the 80 seconds, they still had options. Go read NASA's url. It's their's, not mine!
Thanks

[jlogajan]

Ok, don't go to NASA's URL then. just be a jerk. Thanks!

No one was aware there was a foam impact until the next day on reviewing films (as a standard post launch review.)

[lady lawyer]

I don't think you're going to be able to find "bad guy" here -- at least not within NASA.

[Positive]

Yo Mitch - Challenger exploded at 73 seconds.

Potential damage to Columbia wasn't discovered until over 24 hours.

All of your abort possibilities are irrelevant.

[Fred Mertz]

I don't think they identified the 'minor' glitch in time to react. That's understandable.

I think they had an opportunity to investigate while the Columbia was in space, but they didn't.

[Tennessee_Bob]

Even if it was after the 80 seconds,

It was the next day. They were in orbit. They would have had to come back through the atmosphere to land - or do you know of some back door from space to Kennedy?

[M. Thatcher]

Ok, don't go to NASA's URL then. just be a jerk. Thanks!

What are you, in junior high?

[kwyjibo]

Sorry, pal. The debris wasn't noticed until a day later, when Columbia was already in orbit. Sure, if NASA had noticed the impact at the moment it occurred, there may have been some options available. But once the shuttle reached its orbit, there was absolutely NOTHING that could have been done. So, please stop pulling your hair because it's all for naught.

[Chad Fairbanks]

"IT WAS NASA!!!! NASA'S FAULT!!!!!!!!

KILL IT!!!!! KILL IT!!!"

[deport]

WHEN DID THEY KNOW THEY HAD A PROBLEM.