HomeIn its 15 day 22 hour 36 minute mission Columbia traveled 2.1 million miles around the Earth. It missed getting home by just 900 miles and 15 minutes.
Every shuttle flight is important, but certainly some are more glamorous than others. The STS-107 mission was not an extraordinary shuttle flight - while there were some minor firsts it was basically another flight for fundamental scientific research. In no way was STS-107 a “historic” mission - it didn't accomplish the first servicing of a satellite in orbit, make the first docking with a Russian space station, assemble the first components of the International Space Station, or even collect radar mapping data of the entire world. Had Columbia landed safely it would be just one of 112 shuttle flights that accomplished its goals and returned excellent results for its scientists, the only exception being the Challenger accident. But because the shuttle was destroyed and the seven-person crew perished, STS-107 entered the history books.
What caused the Columbia accident is simple – a 1.67 pound chunk of foam fell off of the External Tank 81 seconds after launch. The foam hit the front of the left wing and during reentry the hot reentry gasses flowed into the damaged wing, leading to Columbia’s destruction. Why the foam fell is a book in itself – the compromises in the original space shuttle design, how the engineers decided to use foam as an insulator, and how NASA treated the issue of falling foam throughout the shuttle program. But this book is not about the accident, it’s about the STS-107 astronauts and their mission.
There are some amazing stories about the Columbia mission, both happy and sad. Astonishingly tiny worms survived the accident and continued to grow after their canister hit the ground. Even more amazing off-the-shelf electronics boxes continued to record data after the accident for a couple of weeks until their batteries ran down. Even if you’ve followed the space program extremely closely you’ll discover fascinating things about Columbia’s STS-107 mission and her crew.
Many people ask why am I including information on the negative things in the lives of Columbia’s astronauts – their human failings. I’ve been asked, “What good does it serve to dredge up those old feelings again?” or “Isn’t it tacky to say bad things about a person who died as a hero?” To those people I’ve said it’s good because it’s the truth. The seven Columbia astronauts were incredibly well trained people, but they were not perfect – they were humans. When they were alive they always acknowledged their limitations and mistakes I will not dishonor them by pretending they were perfect heroes who could not make mistakes. This is their real story, not a sanitized version written by a publicity person. If you want to know the birthdates of the Columbia astronauts or their various awards then read their NASA bios which are included on this book’s website and CD-ROM. If you want to find out about seven real and fascinating people and everything they accomplished on their flight then read this book.
The seven Columbia astronauts were not the superheroes, saints, or patriarchs they were remembered as in eulogies. They were people. They were not all the same – some were religious, some were not, some wanted to become astronauts from the time they were young kids, others only decided to try to become an astronaut when they became adults. They had different interests and long tem goals. They were seven talented but ordinary individuals who were trained to do an extraordinary task - to fly in space. This book is their story and the story of Columbia's last mission.
I had the opportunity to talk to Columbia’s astronauts while they were in space and it wasn’t just a dry plain interview. I was talking to people I knew and it was a pleasure to see the smiles on their faces when they heard many of my questions and enjoyed the way I phrased it. Three days later when the accident occurred, I felt like I had lost seven friends.
Philip Chien
Merritt Island, Florida
August 2005