SpaceX launch today (5/27)

[RNajarian]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

Yes, it’s pretty well known that the crew was alive until they hit the water. Unlikely conscious due to the altitudes they were exposed to after the vehicle broke up (and continued to ascend to on a ballistic trajectory before coming back down). I think a couple of them had taken steps to troubleshoot as it turns out - I like to think that they did that BEFORE losing consciousness and never got it back. It’d be really horrible if they passed out due to hypoxia, then came to before hitting the water at the speed they did (the impact is what killed them).

The final Challenger Disaster report concluded that some of the astronauts had turned the valve to enable the emergency oxygen to their space suit. Unfortunately that was about all they could do without an ejection/emergency evacuation system.

[flipper35]

Some of the switches had been moved as if someone was going through an emergency checklist as well. I imagine that not knowing the rest of the craft was no longer present they would have continued the checklist until the O2 ran out or impact.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

It just makes it more amazing when compared to Gemini 8th of March 1966. Using slide rules and pitiful computers they completed a docking way back then. THEN, they had a real problem. Neil Armstrong and David Scott were almost killed in space when a rocket thruster stuck on. Of course they did not know that all they knew was they were tumbling and nearing blackout from the g-force of the rotation. Niel was a very experienced test pilot, and he had already decoupled from the Agena rocket. The spinning got worse. He fired the reentry rocket to gain control. Only quick thinking saved their life.

They later figured out one rocket had stuck on even though the switch was off. The electrical design kept power to the rocket. After that, there was a master kill switch to shut off all thrusters.

All done 54 years ago. No fancy touch screens. And on a military pay rate with flight pay so not much money but lots of risk.

Totally agreed, what was done back then is simply amazing considering the technology they had.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

Yes, it’s pretty well known that the crew was alive until they hit the water. Unlikely conscious due to the altitudes they were exposed to after the vehicle broke up (and continued to ascend to on a ballistic trajectory before coming back down). I think a couple of them had taken steps to troubleshoot as it turns out - I like to think that they did that BEFORE losing consciousness and never got it back. It’d be really horrible if they passed out due to hypoxia, then came to before hitting the water at the speed they did (the impact is what killed them).

They were conscious.

Mercifully unconscious?
But even if the crew cabin had survived intact, wouldn’t the violent pitching and yawing of the cabin as it descended toward the ocean created G-forces so strong as to render the astronauts unconscious?

That may have once been believed. But that was before the investigation turned up the key piece of evidence that led to the inescapable conclusion that they were alive: On the trip down, the commander and pilot’s reserved oxygen packs had been turned on by astronaut Judy Resnik, seated directly behind them. Furthermore, the pictures, which showed the cabin riding its own velocity in a ballistic arc, did not support an erratic, spinning motion. And even if there were G-forces, commander Dick Scobee was an experienced test pilot, habituated to them.

The evidence led experts to conclude the seven astronauts lived. They worked frantically to save themselves through the plummeting arc that would take them 2 minutes and 45 seconds to smash into the ocean.

That is when they died — after an eternity of descent.

Chapter 5: An eternity of descent - Technology & science - Space - Space History | NBC News

[stealthn]

Anyone else notice how long it took then to get the hatch open after it was cancelled. God forbid there should be a fire in the cockpit.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by stealthn

Anyone else notice how long it took then to get the hatch open after it was cancelled. God forbid there should be a fire in the cockpit.

You know that has to be important given history.

Maybe there's a regular way and a hasty way?

[rusnak]

Next launch: Saturday 3:22 EDT or 12:22 Pacific, is that correct?

[masraum]

Originally Posted by rusnak

Next launch: Saturday 3:22 EDT or 12:22 Pacific, is that correct?

That's what I read on the Nasa.gov site, 1522EDT tomorrow.

[rusnak]

I'm going to be in front of the TV and will watch the hell out of this launch. Musk or no Musk, we need some "rah rah yay go US" feelgood stuff right about now.

[KFC911]

Looks "iffy" today according to my local weather guy. Keeping fingers crossed!

[Por_sha911]

Ain't nothing iffy about the weather for today. Here's a screen shot of the map projected at launch time.

[rusnak]

They might as well go home LOL those rain clouds are ridiculous already.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

Ain't nothing iffy about the weather for today. Here's a screen shot of the map projected at launch time.

LOL....see how clear Daytona is.....Nascar would still drop the green flag at 4 pm!

[expatriot98]

It's good they got an HGTV personality as the pregame announcer.

[carreradpt]

I think this thing might just launch. Had a T-storm pass by here a half hr ago and now clearing up. 10 minutes, yahoo

[Scott Douglas]

Yeah, this is pretty cool. We get to witness some good, hopefully, history being made today.

[red-beard]

Shepard's Prayer!

[Chocaholic]

Picture perfect!

[Baz]

I was on my roof but too many clouds to see the rocket.

I'm just happy it launched!

GO BABY GO!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Baz]