Ten years ago today, as the space shuttle Columbia was re-entering the atmosphere on its way home, it broke apart in the sky above central Texas, killing all seven astronauts aboard. The subsequent accident investigation showed that Columbia and the crew were doomed from launch. A piece of the rocket hit the orbiter soon after liftoff, damaging some heat shield tiles. During re-entry, as the heat built around the orbiter, that weakness allowed the skin of the shuttle to be breached, and Columbia was torn apart.
The accident not only cost seven lives, but led directly to the end of the shuttle program.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment