Columbia Debris

[ascan1984]

Where are the debris from columbia being held?

 

[nibb31]

I seem to remember reading that they are stored in an old underground ICBM silo in the desert.

 

[vulture2]

You're thinking of Challenger, although the silos were only for the SRB debris and are at CCAFS. Columbia debris is stored in the VAB.

 

[earth_bound_misfit]

It appears that noboby likes to talk about this question I'm about to pose and I've never managed to find an answer, so please excuse me if anyone finds it upsetting.<br /><br />My mind is a curious one and a lot of scientific topics interest me including forensics/postmortems. I quite like CSI type stuff.<br /><br />Anyhow, here's the horrible question. What was the Columbia's crew cause of death, eg autospy report findings? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p> </p><p>----------------------------------------------------------------- </p><p>Wanna see this site looking like the old SDC uplink?</p><p>Go here to see how: <strong>SDC Eye saver </strong>  </p> </div>

 

[nibb31]

Must not be a pleasant sight for VAB workers who have to pass in front of the debris everyday. A bit like hanging pictures of dead patients in a doctor's office.

 

[drwayne]

http://www.space-shuttle.com/challenger1.htm<br /><br />Wayne <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>"1) Give no quarter; 2) Take no prisoners; 3) Sink everything."  Admiral Jackie Fisher</p> </div>

 

[tap_sa]

Will the Columbia debris remain in the VAB/scientific use indefinitely, or, and sorry if this sounds morbid, will it some day be put on public display? Maybe even patched together to orbiter shape, each piece as close to it's supposed place as possible?<br /><br />Not suggesting that the display thing would happen any time soon, but some day it might serve as a moving memento of mankinds initial struggles in spaceflight. Old broken battleships and such have been pieced together and put on display despite the fact that numerous people lost their lives in them.

 

[baktothemoon]

"Maybe even patched together to orbiter shape, each piece as close to it's supposed place as possible?"<br /><br />We didn't find enough of it to be able to piece it back together. Last time I checked, we only found around 5% of the shuttle, the rest of it burned up. <br /><br />"Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." John F. Kennedy

 

[tap_sa]

Googled around and found among other things this NASA press release:<br /><br /><i>The imagery is among the more than 84,000 pieces of debris recovered. The debris weighs 84,900 pounds, about 38 percent of the dry weight of Columbia. </i>

 

[earth_bound_misfit]

"http://www.space-shuttle.com/challenger1.htm"<br /><br />Hey thanks Doc! But unfortunately that link is for Challenger.<br />An interesting read all the same and going by the comments within that article eg<br /><br />"The Rogers Commission did not discuss the fate of the crew or provide much detail about the crew cabin wreckage" <br /><br />and <br /><br />"ultimately, it was simply an extension of NASA's policy of no comment when it came to the astronauts."<br /><br /> no-one outside Nasa will see the info I'm looking for <img src="/images/icons/rolleyes.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p> </p><p>----------------------------------------------------------------- </p><p>Wanna see this site looking like the old SDC uplink?</p><p>Go here to see how: <strong>SDC Eye saver </strong>  </p> </div>

 

[vulture2]

There has been a request from the National Air and Space Museam for items that might be appropriate, i.e. the windshield frame. I believe the crew relatives were not adverse to the idea. You can write to your congressman if you think it's a good idea; I do. We shoud never forget the sacrifices, hazards, or the extraordinary forces we are trying to keep under control.<br />

 

[earth_bound_misfit]

"no-one outside Nasa will see the info I'm looking for "<br /><br />You see, it's the old cone of silence trick. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p> </p><p>----------------------------------------------------------------- </p><p>Wanna see this site looking like the old SDC uplink?</p><p>Go here to see how: <strong>SDC Eye saver </strong>  </p> </div>

 

[ascan1984]

How much of the lab was recovered?

 

[ascan1984]

I totally agree in what Mike Mullane said about challenger tht pieces of it should have been places in nasa centers to remind people of what happened and that the decisions they make could mean life or death. This should be done with columbia.

 

[jschaef5]

I think it would be a great memorial to give pieces of it to the familys and put pieces on display in museums in memory of those who died. Plus when the shuttle retires I doubt that they will break up the shuttle into pieces so that all the museums and stuff can have a display. They could do sort of what they did with the moon rocks using the debris from Columbia. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[ascan1984]

by lab I meant Double spacehab

 

[ascan1984]

It was a long time ago but I remember reading that after a few months on of the experiments on board was found. I dont know if it resided in the orbiter or the double spacehab but it contained a worms that were decendants from the ones which flew on STS 107. Incredible. I did a google search and found this.<br /><br />http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2992123.stm