Reasons for Shuttle Columbia breakup

[Archer]

I know there isn't much out there yet, and at first things will be nothign but rumors, but I would like to hear them anyways.

What I heard so far is that on Launch there was some kind of an insulating fluid spillage over one of the wings (left I think) and that should not be disregarded as a possible cause of the tragedy. NASA engineers did not think of the leakage as a possible threat to the safety of the mission.

Another thing I heard, one of the insulating tiles might was lost upon lauch, or during re-entry, and that even one of them missing, causes the shuttle to burn up on re-entry.

If anyone find out possible causes, please let us know.

It is in ther interests of every person on this plantet, to at least learn from the sacrifice and heroism of the 7 people on board STS-107.

Let us learn from this tragedy, and protect future astronauts.

Archer

 

[dmspilot00]

Woah, where did you hear that? False info.

A piece of insulation foam (very dense foam) came off the external tank near the point where the shuttle's nose is attatched to it, and struck the left wing during launch.

The foam striking the wing may have damaged a tile but this is pure speculation. NASA claims they could not have done anything if the tile was damaged because they do not have the capability to do a spacewalk to fix a tile. They did not attempt to determine if there was a problem while the shuttle was in space.

A piece of insulation foam also fell off the external tank during the second most recent launch before Columbia. They may have said that these were the only two times this has happened, but I'm not sure.

Several sensors on the left wing stopped working (as if the wires had been torn) during reentry just a few minutes or seconds prior to the explosion.

Also the shuttle began to break up while it was at its hottest temperature. It was said that if a tile was missing, the point where it broke up would have been the time that a damaged or missing tile would have had the worst affect.

 

[Typhoon1244]

Several sensors on the left wing stopped working (as if the wires had been torn) during reentry just a few minutes prior to the explosion.

It's dangerous for those involved in an investigation to begin with this kind of speculation...

...but then again, we're not involved in this investigation. Based on what was released at the press conferences today, it definitely sounds like, whatever the cause, it culminated in a progressive failure of the left wing. That might be consistent with what we observed today: a thin, wispy debris trail as the wing failed, a shower of sparks as the wing separated, and massive disintegration of the airframe as it began to tumble.

 

[dmspilot00]

It's dangerous for those involved in an investigation to begin with this kind of speculation...

I don't think he was trying to speculate. He actually used the word "cut," not torn. He was trying to distinguish for a reporter between a sensor indicating an erroneous reading and sensor data simply not being received.

 

[Typhoon1244]

I don't think he was trying to speculate.

Oh, I know. I think a little speculation is okay here (as I said in my second paragraph).

 

[SpiderMan]

Hard telling. But they will have to figure it out and move on. Otherwise the ISS will eventually fall down and end-up like the Mir.

 

[ifly4food]

Whoa, where did you hear that? False info.

A piece of insulation foam (very dense foam) came off the external tank near the point where the shuttle's nose is attatched to it, and struck the left wing during launch.

I heard it was a chunk of ice that broke off and hit the wing... which could do some damage.

Just goes to show you how much bad information is out there... it's too soon to speculate about anything.

 

[boeingav8r]

fragments of the shuttle

On a different note, it seems like the news media has been stressing to the public that if any of the peices are found, to not mess with them because of chemicals, radiation or whatever that might be on the fragments....That sounds like a scare tactic that NASA has instructed the media to tell the public because they don't want anybody to keep the pieces if they happen to find any. I personally would return anything that I find, but realistically speaking, how dangerous do you think the pieces are?

 

[JCJ]

Shuttle Fragments

dunno about the "radioactive" part but there were dangerous propellants on board, including hydrazine - could some still be present in an intact fuel cell? dunno maybe - or maybe there is residual propellant left on some of the debris

also some of what will be found are remains of the Astronauts. hopefully no one will be inclined to disturb them

I would guess a second reason for asking everyone not to touch debris is to preserve information for the accident investigation. I am sure that they are trying to discourage souvenir hunting, but (IMHO) for very appropriate reasons.

The "foam striking the left wing on lift-off" report is very worrisome, given the info from the NASA briefing yesterday that suggests that this might have started as a structural failure of the left wing. NPR reported yesterday, however, that several previous shuttle lift-offs have had pieces of foam dislodge and strike the orbiter apparently without ill effect.

Let's pray that the investigators are able to tell us exactly how this happenned and how to prevent it in the future. The only way this tragedy could be worse would be for the sacrifice of these aviators to be in vain.

 

[2000flyer]

Re: fragments of the shuttle

That sounds like a scare tactic that NASA ...

It "may" be a scare tactic, but I believe it to be a true statement. There would be radiation concerns. More importantly would be the fuels the shuttle uses. While I'm sure most if not all fuel burned during re-entry, residue levels could still be high enough to cause health problems.

I think it's pathetic that there are reports of people collecting debri for personal artifacts or financial gain. FNC reported this morning that EBay has already removed items for sale from their site. IMHO, these people should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Like a plane crash, each piece tells a story and can be used in an effort to prevent something like this from ever happening again.

Continue to lift in prayer not only those lost yesterday, but their family and friends and those who will again follow in their footsteps.

2000Flyer

 

[DrEvil]

Remember too, with sensors and failures in this specific area, there is hydraulics and electrics, don't rule out the basics, i.e. a hydraulic fire internally maybe from wire chaffing and a hydraulic leak? This happened to an A-10 once, the pilot had to eject, the left wing was engulfed in flames. Don't jump to conclusions and the experts will do a great job of what they are trained to do. I'm sure there is a ton of telemetry data to sift through and the public won't hear about this until the end, if ever.

 

[JCJ]

people already posted debris for sale on ebay? thst's sick

 

[dmspilot00]

I heard it was a chunk of ice that broke off and hit the wing... which could do some damage.

Just goes to show you how much bad information is out there... it's too soon to speculate about anything.

I'm giving the facts, not rumors. The information came directly from NASA at the 3pm Saturday press conference. I don't know where you people keep hearing all this bad information but I suggest you find difference sources.

As I mentioned previously, they did say a piece of insulation foam also fell off the external tank during the second most recent launch before Columbia's. This may have been only the second time this happened, I'm not sure, but it wasn't a common occurence up until recently and NASA was interested in getting videotape back from Columbia to try to determine why foam has been falling off lately and what damage if any it caused.

Why would there be radiation in the debris?