For reference purposes, the Columbia appears to have disintigrated at an altitude of 200,000 feet or so. The Challenger broke up at 48,000 feet, and the crew cabin reached a maximum altitude of 65,000 feet or so before it came back down.
The stories about the surviving voice recorder on the Challenger may have been true, but the "transcripts" you may have read on the internet have been debunked as an urban legend.
For reference purposes, the Columbia appears to have disintigrated at an altitude of 200,000 feet or so. The Challenger broke up at 48,000 feet, and the crew cabin reached a maximum altitude of 65,000 feet or so before it came back down.
The stories about the surviving voice recorder on the Challenger may have been true, but the "transcripts" you may have read on the internet have been debunked as an urban legend.
Just to set the record straight....
What you have stated in your first paragraph is close to what I remember reading in the Indianapolis Star so many years ago. And what puzzled me and was the reason for me bringing it up on this thread.
And I've not read anything about it on the internet. I just remembered it all today.