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To: BenLurkin

Space shuttle Columbia.

Technical people said “no”.
Managers said “yes”.

We got lucky this time - didn’t lose anybody.


22 posted on 04/04/2025 8:49:49 AM PDT by dagunk (-- Unknown)
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To: dagunk
Space shuttle Columbia.

You're thinking of the Challenger. Morton Thiokol said no because it was too cold for the o-rings, but NASA said yes and the Challenger blew up on throttle up.

With Columbia, it disintegrated on reentry due to broken heat shields that were damaged during takeoff when the protective foam surrounding the external fuel tank broke off and hit the underside of the shuttle.

The foam that was used was more brittle than the prior foam and had increased the shredding of foam during launch. The Clinton administration made NASA change the foam because the old foam was chlorofluorocarbon-based and was said to be damaging to the ozone layer.

-PJ

45 posted on 04/04/2025 10:38:01 AM PDT by Political Junkie Too ( * LAAP = Left-wing Activist Agitprop Press (formerly known as the MSM))
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