Space shuttle endeavour mmod impact series#

Then, while launching the shuttle Columbia, two of the three engine control units failed. Unfortunately, NASA has not made any long-term conclusions or developed control procedures in case a similar situation occurs again.Īnother incident occurred in 1999 during the STS-93 mission. It was later discovered that the damage was indeed there, but an additional aluminum plate was found under the broken tile, and this saved Atlantis. But, despite the report of damage, the MCC did not take it seriously, assuming the astronauts to be misled by the play of light and shadow. After entering orbit, the crew inspected the impact site and found a broken tile. The incident was recorded by ground cameras.

A piece broke off from a side booster crashing into the heat shield of the shuttle Atlantis. The first truly dangerous incident occurred in 1988 during the second flight after the crash of the Challenger spacecraft. The damage received by the Atlantis ship during launch from a collision with a piece of thermal insulation foam almost caused the disaster, but then it all worked out well… The only question was when it would happen. All this constituted a fertile soil for new disasters. In addition, despite all efforts to improve the organizational structure and culture of decision-making at NASA, many rules and regulations have not taken root. At the same time, the shuttles never had a full-fledged crew rescue system in case of an accident. The failure of many of them could have caused a disaster. Unfortunately, no improvements could change the main thing: this ship was a very complex system consisting of thousands of different components. The most obvious consequence of the disaster was the revision of safety standards and the introduction of changes in the design of winged ships to make their operation safer.

Space shuttle endeavour mmod impact series#

The crash of the Challenger shuttle triggered a series of events that affected almost all areas of the American space industry. In 1986, the reusable ship program experienced a serious blow that almost became fatal for it. The first such mission was planned for the end of 2003… Challenger: conclusions not drawn NASA planned to modernize the shuttle Columbia equipping it with a docking system that would allow it to join the ISS program. However, the situation might change in the future. The ship was used only for certain missions, which involved putting satellites into orbit, conducting experiments and scientific research, and servicing the Hubble telescope. Therefore, Columbia participated neither in the Mir-Shuttle program nor in the construction and supply of the ISS. Also, the ship did not have its own docking system, which meant its inability to dock with the orbital station. In addition, it weighed more than other shuttles. In particular, various experimental equipment was installed on board. Since Columbia was the first ship of the series, it was different from all subsequent “shuttles”. Despite the increased risk, the experiment was a success, paving the way for further development of the program. This flight went down in history as the first mission of the shuttle and as the first time when the orbital test of a new spacecraft was conducted not in unmanned mode, but with a crew. Its construction began in 1975, it was handed over to NASA in 1979, and two years later it finally went into orbit around the Earth. It was the first specimen of the Space Shuttle craft intended for space flights. Pioneer shipĬolumbia deservedly received the status of a pioneer. 17 years after the Challenger disaster, NASA has lost another spacecraft and its entire crew. After a while, a loud explosion sounded on the ground and then debris began to fall from the sky. Observers who followed the descent of the shuttle reported that it broke into many fragments.

At first, experts hoped it was some technical failure, but soon it became clear that something irreparable had happened. The collapse of the spaceship Columbia during entry into the Earth’s atmosphereĪt some point, the Mission Control Center (MCC) lost contact with the ship. None of the astronauts anticipated they were doomed. Less than 20 minutes remained before the planned landing on the runway of the Kennedy Space Center. On February 1, 2003, the space shuttle Columbia was returning to Earth after 15 days in space.