[P-Marlowe]

If there were serious concerns they should have left them in orbit until they were able to send up some kind of rescue vehicle, whether it be another shuttle or a russian caspule, whetever. The non-military people could have been evacuated. They could have squeezed them into the space station. There was no need to bring the shuttle back until they were convinced that it was safe.

If anyone in authority on the ground knew this was going to be a problem and did not notify the crew members, then he or she should be prosecuted for murder.

Let us hope that this is not true.

[FReepaholic]

>>...They could have squeezed them into the space station....<<

Could not. Columbia could not reach the ISS. Columbia needed major mods to be able to do that.

[Timesink]

If there were serious concerns they should have left them in orbit until they were able to send up some kind of rescue vehicle, whether it be another shuttle or a russian caspule, whetever. The non-military people could have been evacuated. They could have squeezed them into the space station. There was no need to bring the shuttle back until they were convinced that it was safe.

I've read that the Columbia was the only shuttle incapable of docking with with the ISS, and they simply didn't have enough oxygen on board to last them as long as they'd have to wait for a hastily-thrown-together rescue mission. If the gash was for real, and was the cause, they were simply doomed from liftoff. The only possibility would have been to abort during liftoff, and I don't even know if they noticed the foam that quickly.

The only possiblity I've heard of is an emergency spacewalk, and everything I've heard about that is that it would be beyond dangerous, might save the shuttle but cost the life of whichever astronaut went outside, and just in general would have required NASA to be granted a level of divine luck a couple of orders of magnitude above what it took to save Apollo XIII.

[Lee'sGhost]

That's the kind of thing I was wondering. They have a "life boat" Russian vehicle on the space station as well. Seems that there could have been serveral different rescue senarios that could have been attempted if there was a decission that the Columbia wasn't space worthy. Leaving it in space would have been tough, but we know the alternative outcome.

I'm not arm chair quarterbacking, I'm simply asking questions based on new information. Bottom line is, IF NASA knew there was significant damage, the posing of possibilities and the opportunity for finger pointing are self inflicted.

And before anyone asks, I totally support having a space program, think the shuttle program has outlived it's time and needs to be mondernized from the ground up, and believe we should be mounting a mission to Mars right now.

[OldFriend]

THE COLUMBIA HAD NO DOCKING CAPABILITIES

THERE WAS NO REPAIR CAPABILITY

[RCW2001]

Not to mention that Russia just sent a supply ship to the space station yesterday.

If repair materials had been needed, they could have been sent on that mission...

[Dave S]

The non-military people could have been evacuated. They could have squeezed them into the space station.

The Shuttle could did not have fuel to get to the Space Station and even if it had there was no way to dock with the Space Station. The Shuttle is too big and they didnt have the thether so they couldnt do a space walk to the ISS. If A Russian or American rescue flight was sent up, there again would be no way to get the crew from one vehicle to the other. Also under the best of conditions it would have taken at least a week to launch a rescue Shuttle and that would have put the other shuttle crew at risk.

[Kozak]

If there were serious concerns they should have left them in orbit until they were able to send up some kind of rescue vehicle, whether it be another shuttle or a russian caspule, whetever. The non-military people could have been evacuated. They could have squeezed them into the space station. There was no need to bring the shuttle back until they were convinced that it was safe.

Columbia couldn't reach the orbit of the ISS.
It would take multiple Soyuz capsules to evacuate the 7 man crew, I don't even know if they have one on the pad, it's not like starting the family car.
The shuttle can only stay powered up for so long in orbit, the fuel cells have a limited capacity.

Maybe we can make some kind of arrangement for a standby emergency evac vehicle in the future, but keeping an "alert" bird would be a very expensive proposition, remember this is the first time in 100 missions it maybe would have been needed.

Space is a dangerous place, pioneers have always had to accept some very real risks.

[Man of the Right]

It would have been a stretch.

Prior to the accident, NASA was hard-pressed to launch a total of 4-5 times a year with four craft. Normally, mission training takes years and launch preparation takes two to three months. Moreover, there's no equipment for effecting a Shuttle-Shuttle evacuation, no one is trained to do it, and the majority of astronauts have absolutely no training for leaving the spacecraft. If it were known that re-entry was impossible shortly after launch, NASA would have been under great political pressure to try a high-risk rescue. The outcome would have been an Apollo 13 national high or a Desert One national low involving more deaths and possibly the loss of another Shuttle. Given the lack of preparation, the latter was statistically more likely than the former.

[Alberta's Child]

For those of you who still think anything could have been done to save that Columbia crew, I'd suggest you review the numerous threads that have been posted here over the last few days and see all of the reasons why the courses of action you've suggested simply could not be done.

Remember how damned-near impossible it was to get any kind of rescue effort in place when the Russian submarine Kursk went down a couple of years ago? Sending another shuttle or a Russian rescue craft up into space to meet the Columbia would have been like sending a U.S. nuclear submarine to rescue Russians from the Kursk. Without the proper docking configurations on both spacecraft, the two vehicles may as well have been a thousand miles apart.

[Axenolith]

I'm taking heavy FLaK on another thread on the same subject, I can't believe the # of people who assume this was hopeless from the git go. Crap, something could have been tried, even if the odds were long...

[hattend]

They don't have much more oxygen than what is required for the mission and maybe a week of weather diverts and they didn't have the maneuvering fuel to get them to the ISS. Its in a much different orbit based on what I've read.

It isn't like a TV movie where the Orbital Manuevering thrusters are going all the time with huge orbital direction changes.

Not to sound heartless, but if the tiles were compromised, this crew was either going to asphyxiate or end quickly in a ball of flame.

They all knew the risks. May they rest in peace.

[Almondjoy]

First off their supplies would of run out well before another shuttle could of been sent up to meet them. Two.. I don't recall two shuttles ever meeting up in space. Three, only two of them were qualifed to spacewalk.. I'm not expert but if it's something you have to be qualifed in.. I'm sure it's not all that easy. Four, what happens with the shuttle if, when, and how it comes back down the earth. It still would of burned up but it could of landed in a major city.

On your 2nd point. Let's assume they examined all those options and concluded there was no way to get them down. Why would they inform them that they think they are all going to die??? Wouldn't it be better to let them try and bring it down.. nothing is 100% certain. Maybe they wanted them to just make it through. People under pressure make all kinds of mistakes. Better to let them just ride it out.

[Marysecretary]

At times like this, there are so many rumors and half truths that get circulated. It's hard to distinguish truth from fiction some times. Let's pray they really get to the bottom of this and soon so we can prevent future "accidents" like this one.