Or it was terrorism...
Which seems more likely to me considering debris used to hit the shuttle on launch all time time and nothing of the sort ever happened prior to that. Plus, the U.S. was about to invade Iraq at the time and the first ever Israeli astronaut was onboard.
Just a theory.
@mininow All of a shuttle orbiter's onboard fuel supplies are kept in the OMS pods and in compartments beneath the payload bay. There aren't any tanks in the wings.
@mininow There are no fuel tanks inside the wings. The hole did cause control issues that were being counter acted by thrusters. The computer was still flying her at this point. This is normal during re-entry for the thrusters to maintain heading etc. Elevons and rudder are used farther into re-entry when the air is thicker.
If the wing was breached, wouldn't hot air rushed in the fuel tanks and ignite the whole thing? Or desrupt aerodynamics, increased drag and caused all sorts of control issues?
@shakeAbooty88 Not involved, but actually worked on them everyday. Many thousands of ppl were involved but never actually saw one or touched one. Even at KSC, only a few hundred actually got in them or around them everyday. Best job I ever had or will have.
@amgen52 I read somewhere, might have been on this post but I've looked at so many lately, that you were involved in the shuttle program for 25 years. That must have been a buzz, even with the very sad things that happened. Power to you.
@shakeAbooty88
Are you absolutely positive about that? Do you have any proof?
Because now, having just re-reviewed this footage, I am even more convinced that it was one of those transdimensional alien space crafts that have routinely buzzed these Space Shuttles, otherwise this entire video is a fraud.
Clearly there's no other logical explanation that more closely describes the footage, if its not an alien craft of unknown origin, then the footage is a has been photoshopped.
@amgen52 And I meant the leading edges not the entire wing. I'm fully aware that if they were made entirely of rcc they'd fall apart, and that it's necessary to heat shield only where the air is compressed, and that 90% of the heat is generated by compression and only 10% by friction. I'm very well informed, I was just letting someone know a couple of points and maybe inspiring them to learn more, not sitting for an examination. Cheers anyway.
@shakeAbooty88 The booster rockets are steel casings. They do not contain liquid anything. Your mixing the orange external tank up with boosters. Just the leading edge of the wing is RCC. The rest is aluminum covered with tile and blankets.
@junkification The booster rocket is covered with INSULATING foam, so that it doesn't ice up, because it contains liquid oxygen (-452 deg F) and liquid hydrogen (-434.65 deg) F in separate tanks.
The shuttle wings are not foam, they are reinforced carbon carbon.
@rickcain2320 The crew could have done a space walk. A minimum of 2 EVA suits fly every mission including STS-107. Two crew are trained for EVA's every flight even if they are not to take place.
@rickcain2320 The airforce has an airborne camera system that can inspect the wings (they use it to look at other nations satellites in orbit). You liberals really should grow up George Bush is not the catch all for everything bad or everything that goes wrong in the world.
We should have coordinated with Russia on launches, so a rescue mission(s) could be on standby. They can loft an empty TMA capsule that can bring down up to 3-4 astronauts in an emergency automatically.
George W. Bush refused access to one of our spy satellites to inspect the damage remotely. The Columbia wasn't designed for spacewalk nor docking so the astronauts had no way of inspecting the wing.
If anyone believes that NASA did not suspect that there was damage to the wing after day 2 you need to finish third grade and have a sit down with mommy about your future.
Français
