Do you think the Astronauts lived during the breakup?

[Jugernot]

I've read many places that the passenger cabin is one of the most reinforced parts of the shuttle. Do you think they lived during the breakup? I hope not, but I have a feeling they wouldn't have died immediately. I can't imagine what it must have been like to see (and feel) the vehicle you were riding in disintegrating before your eyes and knowing that you probably won't live.

I also read somewhere that in the Challenger disaster, it was thought the crew could have lived after hitting the ocean surface and have had some time as they were sinking.
It's a terrible thing....

 

[Anubis]

if they werent allready dead they were unconsious. they hit mach 18. they would have passed out before teh could have registered themselfs dyeing

 

[Zim Hosein]

Unlike the Challenger accident, like TheEvil1 posted, at such high speeds the Columbia crew died before suffering.

 

[speed01]

I hope not.......

 

[Ladies Man]

Originally posted by: TheEvil1
if they werent allready dead they were unconsious. they hit mach 18. they would have passed out before teh could have registered themselfs dyeing

i hope so

 

[0roo0roo]

my guess is they knew there was something wrong, maybe hear/feel it. but once it really started, yea, musta been reasonably quick.

 

[Joony]

i thought the shuttle reenters the atmosphere at a high speed? is mach 18 normal?

 

[Tripleshot]

It is most likely they did not have time to think of anything and died instantly. At best (or worst), the realization of the ship breaking up and a fear of impending doom would be all the concience could have recognized. At 12000 MPH, as soon as that cabin came apart, it was over. They came to a sudden stop in mid air, probably forcing all the soft inards to slam forward against the skelatal matter and that would be lights out instantly. Not even time for pain to register.

A tragic way to die, no doubt.

 

[charrison]

Originally posted by: Joony
i thought the shuttle reenters the atmosphere at a high speed? is mach 18 normal?

I think they start around mach 25.

 

[PowerEngineer]

I don't believe that any of them could have survived very long when their shuttle breaks up going mach 18 at 200,000 feet (thank goodness). On the other hand, there was evidence that some of the Challenger crew attempted to put on some emergency gear which means that they had some time to react after their explosion. I'm afraid that some of them may well have remained alive until their craft hit the water.

 

[Jugernot]

But doesn't the shuttle always descend in the lower atmpshere at a high rate of speed (15-20mach) and do certain manuvers to slow it's speed? To be honest, I haven't watched much TV on the columbia, so I'm not clear on all the details of this accident. I just was thinking about it today as I was driving down the highway...

 

[GTaudiophile]

I've been told that the Challanger crew was alive and well as their portion of the orbiter fell. It wasn't until they hit water that they died.

 

[ManSnake]

They were most likely unconscious due to the extreme g the shuttle was pulling during re-entry.

 

[Chadder007]

Originally posted by: Joony
i thought the shuttle reenters the atmosphere at a high speed? is mach 18 normal?

Yeah I think they are tested for speeds close to this. Im not so sure they would have been all unconscious.

 

[charrison]

Originally posted by: Chadder007

Originally posted by: Joony
i thought the shuttle reenters the atmosphere at a high speed? is mach 18 normal?

Yeah I think they are tested for speeds close to this. Im not so sure they would have been all unconscious.

It is not the speed, it is the Gs.

 

[AvesPKS]

Originally posted by: charrison

Originally posted by: Chadder007

Originally posted by: Joony
i thought the shuttle reenters the atmosphere at a high speed? is mach 18 normal?

Yeah I think they are tested for speeds close to this. Im not so sure they would have been all unconscious.

It is not the speed, it is the Gs.

Right, that's what I was going to say. The spaceshuttle would be fine going Mach 50 (in space), because speed is not the issue here. Acceleration is.

 

[charrison]

Originally posted by: AvesPKS

Originally posted by: charrison

Originally posted by: Chadder007

Originally posted by: Joony
i thought the shuttle reenters the atmosphere at a high speed? is mach 18 normal?

Yeah I think they are tested for speeds close to this. Im not so sure they would have been all unconscious.

It is not the speed, it is the Gs.

Right, that's what I was going to say. The spaceshuttle would be fine going Mach 50 (in space), because speed is not the issue here. Acceleration is.

More accurately, change in velocity and/or direction.

 

[GoingUp]

Originally posted by: PowerEngineer
I don't believe that any of them could have survived very long when their shuttle breaks up going mach 18 at 200,000 feet (thank goodness). On the other hand, there was evidence that some of the Challenger crew attempted to put on some emergency gear which means that they had some time to react after their explosion. I'm afraid that some of them may well have remained alive until their craft hit the water.

Why is that? Because they would have hit a brick wall then figurativly speaking?

 

[JC]

Originally posted by: Gobadgrs

Originally posted by: PowerEngineer
I don't believe that any of them could have survived very long when their shuttle breaks up going mach 18 at 200,000 feet (thank goodness). On the other hand, there was evidence that some of the Challenger crew attempted to put on some emergency gear which means that they had some time to react after their explosion. I'm afraid that some of them may well have remained alive until their craft hit the water.

Why is that? Because they would have hit a brick wall then figurativly speaking?

Yes, they hit the water at 200+ MPH.....too bad the crew capsule didn't have a parachute

 

[her209]

They were probably equipped with cynanide pills.

 

[DevilsAdvocate]

Originally posted by: her209
They were probably equipped with cynanide pills.

What?

Put the bong down.