[jesseam]

The managers overode the engineers who knew the SRB “O” rings would probably fail in 24 degree temperature. I wonder if they paid any consequence for overiding the engineers. There was a video of the crew compartment coming out of the gas cloud virtually intact and rumors had it the crew survived till impact. A sad day indeed. Thank God we had President Reagan then rather than the total joke we have now. God help us.

[Charles Martel]

There was a video of the crew compartment coming out of the gas cloud virtually intact and rumors had it the crew survived till impact.

IIRC, the pilot's and commander's emergency oxygen was found to have been switched on (controls on the rear of their seats). Someone seated behind them survived long enough to reach forward and do that.

I'm pretty sure some of them were alive - if not conscious - when they hit the surface of the Atlantic.

[Atlas Sneezed]

There was a video of the crew compartment coming out of the gas cloud virtually intact and rumors had it the crew survived till impact. A sad day indeed.

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I have spoken personally with a NASA official who has heard the post-explosion tapes. They (at least some) were alive until they hit the water.