As I understand it, they were incapacitated because unconscious by then. It all happened too quickly for them to suit up properly and do any emergency procedures.
And - the problem was an issue with insulating foam from the external tanks breaking off during the launch and hitting the wing of the Space Shuttle. Foam impact test blows hole in shuttle wing panel
So - happened during launch.
If they'd discovered the problem before re-entry somehow or other - then - there was a remote chance of a rescue mission - as Columbia had more supplies than most missions, enough for 30 days and by chance, they had another space shuttle, Atlantis nearly ready for take off. If it could have been rushed through its checks quickly enough maybe it could have done a rescue mission.
But - would be a record if they had achieved that - seems perhaps unlikely that it could have worked, also breaking many safety rules to get it underway so is also a risk for Atlantis.
Also, the rescue mission itself - involving transfer of all the crew from one space shuttle to another - was itself a major undertaking not at all certain it would succeed and never been done before - and is also a major issue keeping two shuttles continually aligned with each other in orbit, again something never been done.
Could a Rescue Have Been Possible?
And
The audacious rescue plan that might have saved space shuttle Columbia
And - the problem was an issue with insulating foam from the external tanks breaking off during the launch and hitting the wing of the Space Shuttle. Foam impact test blows hole in shuttle wing panel
So - happened during launch.
If they'd discovered the problem before re-entry somehow or other - then - there was a remote chance of a rescue mission - as Columbia had more supplies than most missions, enough for 30 days and by chance, they had another space shuttle, Atlantis nearly ready for take off. If it could have been rushed through its checks quickly enough maybe it could have done a rescue mission.
But - would be a record if they had achieved that - seems perhaps unlikely that it could have worked, also breaking many safety rules to get it underway so is also a risk for Atlantis.
Also, the rescue mission itself - involving transfer of all the crew from one space shuttle to another - was itself a major undertaking not at all certain it would succeed and never been done before - and is also a major issue keeping two shuttles continually aligned with each other in orbit, again something never been done.
Could a Rescue Have Been Possible?
And
The audacious rescue plan that might have saved space shuttle Columbia
About the Author
Robert Walker
Writer of articles on Mars and Space issues - Software Developer of Tune Smithy, Bounce Metronome etc.Studied at Wolfson College, Oxford
Lives in Isle of Mull
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