COLUMBIA'S FINAL TRAGEDY MISSION

Columbia's Final Tragedy Mission

Abstract

Space Shuttle Columbia's last mission 'STS-107' took place between January 16, 2003 and February 1, 2003. At 7:59:32 PM, Central Time United States lost communication with Columbia a few minutes after the news of the world began transmitting images of the shuttle disintegrating in the air. The accident was not perceived by the crew or during the mission. Mission control, apparently, was aware of detachment from others, but dismissed the scope of the event. The diversity of these challenges presents numerous problems with regard to communication of information that remain affected by information inadequacy. Very few theories discuss how to manage a situation where information plays the key role. In practice, as yet there is no clear standardization of information exchange. This paper will focus on the information adequacy in Astronautics and will give ways by which we can prevent such accidents in future.

Table of Contents

Introduction4

What Went Wrong?4

The Need for Law of Air6

Engine Design as a Key to Disaster Prevention7

Three-component engine8

Liquid Air Cycle Engine (LACE)9

Problems to be addressed in building spaceports9

Collaborated Information Handling10

Liquid Boosters for Disaster Prevention11

The Role of NASA12

The Need for Investigation13

Conclusion14

References15

Columbia's Final Tragedy Mission

Introduction

Space accidents could seriously hamper the research and development cause. In the past, air tragedies of the Challenger Shuttle and Columbia Space Shuttle caused severe financial and human losses. To date, the lives of 18 astronauts have been the subject of such accidents. This paper will focus on the information inadequacy in Astronautics and will give ways by which we can prevent such accidents in the future. The paper reviews the technical and information loopholes related to Columbia Final Mission and proposes some solutions in light of available evidence and research.

Space shuttle Columbia was the first of the space shuttle in NASA to accomplish missions outside the Earth (Gulick, Hill & Van 2004). It was first released on April 12th of 1981, and ended their existence to be destroyed to reenter the atmosphere on February 1 of 2003 bringing its seven crew members. Columbia's last mission was designated STS-107 that took place between January 16, 2003 and February 1, 2003 (Castells, 2009).

What Went Wrong?

At the time of launch, the orbiter was hit in the bottom of the left wing, caused by the detachment of a piece of foampolyurethane, insulating the external tank (Gulick, Hill & Van 2004). The impact occurred between 81-82 seconds after launch. According to studies by NASA, the fragment had a size of 50 x 40 x 15 inches, and weighing about 1 kg, and could have beaten the wing at about 805 km / h; the force of impact was estimated at nearly a ton (Starbuck & Farjoun 2005). The coup occurred in tangentially drilled a pair of panels behind the leading edge near the landing gear well (Castells 2009).

The accident was neither perceived by the crew nor by the mission control. Mission control was aware of detachment from others. However, it dismissed the scope of the ...