Soccer Ball Survived Challenger Explosion

[Mike in Horseheads]

This is s great story from ESPN about a soccer ball that Ellison Onizuka had smuggled aboard the Challenger. It somehow was found in the wreckage completely intact and latter went up on the Space Station. 

http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/23902766/nasa-astronaut-ellison-onizuka-soccer-ball-survived-challenger-explosion

[Lagoon Blues]

Read that story this morning.  Sad and awesome all in one.

[Seasons1992]

That's very cool that something could bring a little closure to the family during the worst possible thing happening. 

 

Stupid suits at NASA forced Morton Thiokol to sign off on the launch despite those engineers telling them "hell no, not in these cold conditions. The o-rings will be compromised."

 

Read the book "No Downlink."

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

There is a wicked joke in here involving the New England Patriots' equipment manager, but even I have limits.

[Saxum]

Tells how bad the checks are if someone could smuggle it in.

[Fadingpain]

2 hours ago, Seasons1992 said:

That's very cool that something could bring a little closure to the family during the worst possible thing happening. 

 

Stupid suits at NASA forced Morton Thiokol to sign off on the launch despite those engineers telling them "hell no, not in these cold conditions. The o-rings will be compromised."

 

Read the book "No Downlink."

Yes.  People knew it was wrong to launch on such a cold day, and yet it happened.

 

The disaster was not the result of a failed component or a mistake of engineering, it was the result of failed leadership and poor decision making.

 

 

 

 

[Mike in Horseheads]

7 hours ago, Seasons1992 said:

That's very cool that something could bring a little closure to the family during the worst possible thing happening. 

 

Stupid suits at NASA forced Morton Thiokol to sign off on the launch despite those engineers telling them "hell no, not in these cold conditions. The o-rings will be compromised."

 

Read the book "No Downlink."

Thanks,,, I will read that book. Your blaming NASA is spot on. They wanted that teacher in space to go.....

5 hours ago, Fadingpain said:

Yes.  People knew it was wrong to launch on such a cold day, and yet it happened.

 

The disaster was not the result of a failed component or a mistake of engineering, it was the result of failed leadership and poor decision making.

 

 

 

 

I wonder during the Apollo Missions if that would have flown.  I understand technology changed 

6 hours ago, Limeaid said:

Tells how bad the checks are if someone could smuggle it in.

Ya thats the most important thing, who knows if they knew and passed on such a insignificant object

[row_33]

8 hours ago, Limeaid said:

Tells how bad the checks are if someone could smuggle it in.

 

That’s the least of it....

 

[Saxum]

11 hours ago, Mike in Horseheads said:

Ya thats the most important thing, who knows if they knew and passed on such a insignificant object

 

It is important but not most.  Every ounce on spacecraft needs to be account for. 

[sherpa]

Apollo command module had much less room than the shuttle, so not an option.

Not a big deal at all.

Bad part is, I'm told, when Challenger blew up, the flight deck area survived for a bit. Not a pleasant situation.

 

 

[Marv's Neighbor]

18 hours ago, Limeaid said:

Tells how bad the checks are if someone could smuggle it in.

That was 30+ years ago.  No doubt there were security "checks," but that was a different time.

[ExiledInIllinois]

1 hour ago, Marv's Neighbor said:

That was 30+ years ago.  No doubt there were security "checks," but that was a different time.

 

So true.  Everything now is so micro-managed for safety.

 

Didn't Gus Grissom sneak things onto his flights... Not sure on the one he died in.

 

??

[Marv's Neighbor]

9 minutes ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

 

So true.  Everything now is so micro-managed for safety.

 

Didn't Gus Grissom sneak things onto his flights... Not sure on the one he died in.

 

??

Gus died in an oxygen fed fire, on the launch pad, in 1967. 

[ExiledInIllinois]

2 minutes ago, Marv's Neighbor said:

Gus died in an oxygen fed fire, on the launch pad, in 1967. 

Of course.  But they would investigate everything.  No doubt, the soccer ball didn't do anything, other things astronauts bring the same... But after a mishap, will leave no stone unturned. 

 

 

[Fadingpain]

2 hours ago, sherpa said:

Apollo command module had much less room than the shuttle, so not an option.

Not a big deal at all.

Bad part is, I'm told, when Challenger blew up, the flight deck area survived for a bit. Not a pleasant situation.

 

 

If you watch the video over a few times, you can clearly see the crew capsule at the front of the orbiter cleanly break away and go flying off on its own trajectory.  

 

They also found indications in the wreckage and on the in-flight telemetry that certain astronaut actions were taken post explosion.  

 

I.E., the crew almost certainly survived the explosion event and then would have been fully conscious for the trip down, ultimately dying when they hit the water.  That's the longest 2:45 anyone has ever experienced. 

 

Former astronaut and shuttle crew member Story Musgrave has commented on this at length; he is 110% convinced the crew would have easily survived the explosion.

 

I remember hearing years ago that the crew would have pulled too many Gs when the orbiter came apart, and so even if alive, they would have all blacked out and not really known what was happening.  That has since been pretty well debunked.  I don't think they would have pulled more than a 3 or 4 lateral Gs when the shuttle came apart.

 

It all just adds to the tragedy of the event.

 

 

 

 

Edited June 30, 2018 by Fadingpain

[sherpa]

19 minutes ago, Fadingpain said:

 

I remember hearing years ago that the crew would have pulled too many Gs when the orbiter came apart, and so even if alive, they would have all blacked out and not really known what was happening.  That has since been pretty well debunked.  I don't think they would have pulled more than a 3 or 4 lateral Gs when the shuttle came apart.

 

I'm told they survived the initial explosion and separation.

3 or 4  g's would be meaningless.

Above 7 and you start dealing with issues.

Normal Shuttle  launch was about 3. Not a big deal.

 

I have a few friends of friends who were involved in other flights. I'm told the thing shook like crazy at liftoff.

 

 

 

 

[frostbitmic]

Wilson is one tough sonofabitch.