New Report on ’03 Disaster Details How Astronauts Died

[Enigma]

Seven astronauts slipped into unconsciousness (http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/injury/unconsciousness-first-aid/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier) within moments and their bodies were whipped around in seats whose restraints failed during the wildly spinning final moments of the shuttle Columbia in 2003, according to a new report from the space agency.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/31/science/space/31NASA.html?hp

[Enigma]

Sorry! Seems someone already posted on this.Feel free to zap it, mods....

[She-Wolf]

Not zapped yet Enigma. I am pleased that you have posted this as it gives me some relief. I imagined that they all burned to death as the craft overheated, and so suffered an horrific end. From what this article says, seems not. More like the people who died in the Athens 2005 plane crash, the decompression killed them. Still a tragedy, but at least they didn't perish in agony.

[sharkbit]

I seem to remember a few months after the Challenger exploded, a report came out saying that the crew compartment remained intact and fell into the water. Supposedly the crew survived the explosion, and there was evidence that they were able to activate their personal breathing devices after the explosion. Unfortuneately, they died on impact when the crew compartment hit the water.
It sent chills down my spine when I read it, wondering what was going thru their minds during the fall. I'd bet they were doing what their training told them to do as they probably didn't know exactly what was going on.

Both shuttle disasters were a sad time :cry: , although I'm not sorry to see the shuttles retired in 2010.