7 Myths
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Myth #1: A nation watched as tragedy unfolded
Few people actually saw what happened live on television. The flight occurred during the early years of cable news, and although CNN was indeed carrying the launch when the shuttle was destroyed, all major broadcast stations had cut away — only to quickly return with taped relays. With Christa McAuliffe set to be the first teacher in space, NASA had arranged a satellite broadcast of the full mission into television sets in many schools, but the general public did not have access to this unless they were one of the then-few people with satellite dishes. What most people recall as a "live broadcast" was actually the taped replay broadcast soon after the event..Few people watch the Super Bowl live, too. Whether people saw it live on CNN or were watching the relays 60 seconds later doesn’t change the essential truth that the nation was watching.
Myth #2: Challenger exploded
The shuttle did not explode in the common definition of that word. There was no shock wave, no detonation, no "bang" — viewers on the ground just heard the roar of the engines stop as the shuttle’s fuel tank tore apart, spilling liquid oxygen and hydrogen which formed a huge fireball at an altitude of 46,000 ft. (Some television documentaries later added the sound of an explosion to these images.) But both solid-fuel strap-on boosters climbed up out of the cloud, still firing and unharmed by any explosion. Challenger itself was torn apart as it was flung free of the other rocket components and turned broadside into the Mach 2 airstream. Individual propellant tanks were seen exploding — but by then, the spacecraft was already in pieces.That seems a distinction without effective difference to me…
But spaceflight historians believe that each element of the opening paragraph is factually untrue or at best extremely dubious. They are myths, undeserving of popular belief and unworthy of being repeated at every anniversary of the disaster..
Sure would be nice if this guy provided cites or references to his claims.
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I didn't think any of those 7 points was widely believed.
Well, OK, this one is a bit silly:
The shuttle did not explode in the common definition of that word.
Yeah, let's be pedantic about what an explosion is. What would you call it, if not an explosion? This sounds a bit like one of my managers who once told me what to write in the safety report regarding a 'sudden, energetic venting from a cell'.
A cynic might say that the journo was just trying to think of something interesting to write on the anniversary of the tragedy.
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@lufins-dad said in 7 Myths:
Myth #1: A nation watched as tragedy unfolded
Few people actually saw what happened live on television. The flight occurred during the early years of cable news, and although CNN was indeed carrying the launch when the shuttle was destroyed, all major broadcast stations had cut away — only to quickly return with taped relays. With Christa McAuliffe set to be the first teacher in space, NASA had arranged a satellite broadcast of the full mission into television sets in many schools, but the general public did not have access to this unless they were one of the then-few people with satellite dishes. What most people recall as a "live broadcast" was actually the taped replay broadcast soon after the event..Few people watch the Super Bowl live, too. Whether people saw it live on CNN or were watching the relays 60 seconds later doesn’t change the essential truth that the nation was watching.
Myth #2: Challenger exploded
The shuttle did not explode in the common definition of that word. There was no shock wave, no detonation, no "bang" — viewers on the ground just heard the roar of the engines stop as the shuttle’s fuel tank tore apart, spilling liquid oxygen and hydrogen which formed a huge fireball at an altitude of 46,000 ft. (Some television documentaries later added the sound of an explosion to these images.) But both solid-fuel strap-on boosters climbed up out of the cloud, still firing and unharmed by any explosion. Challenger itself was torn apart as it was flung free of the other rocket components and turned broadside into the Mach 2 airstream. Individual propellant tanks were seen exploding — but by then, the spacecraft was already in pieces.That seems a distinction without effective difference to me…
But spaceflight historians believe that each element of the opening paragraph is factually untrue or at best extremely dubious. They are myths, undeserving of popular belief and unworthy of being repeated at every anniversary of the disaster..
Sure would be nice if this guy provided cites or references to his claims.
I felt the same way.
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The cabin hit the surface 2 minutes and 45 seconds after breakup, and all investigations indicate the crew was still alive until then.
That’s good to know.
Yes, they were breathing when they hit the water.
I remember there being some discussion of exactly how much oxygen was consumed. And based on that they made guesses about the condition of the crew on impact.
Some astronauts said they believed that Dick Scobee was still attempting to fly the Shuttle on impact. They acknowledged that was wishful thinking but said they thought it was possible and if it was possible, he was doing it. Of course at that point there wasn't much left to fly.
I watched the replays, just after the accident, at Dulles Airport on my way to my grandmother's funeral. Throw in the Patriots Super Bowl loss the day before and that was a really lousy week.
