STS-51-L

Controversy

Since recovered debris show that at least three of the astronauts survived long enough to turn on their Personal Egress Air Packs (PEAPS, designed for on-pad emergencies) and were likely alive but unconscious until final splashdown, there has been a significant amount of debate and speculation over the survivability of the STS-51-L disaster.

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The number of crew members surviving until sea impact has been one of the most strongly debated subjects in Internet newsgroups. The need for a reinforced cockpit section and some kind of an emergency rescue system (either in the form of detachable, parachute-equipped cabin as used by the F-111 fighter-bomber or individual ejection seats, similar to K-36RB (Zvezda K-36M-11F35) devices mounted on the ex-Soviet Buran space shuttle) is often advocated by amateurs and space professionals alike.

Related Topics:
F-111 - Zvezda - Buran

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Bill Kaysing, best known for his claims that the Apollo moon landings were faked, claimed in an interview http://nardwuar.com/vs/bill_kaysing/index.html that NASA deliberately destroyed the Challenger, as Christa McAuliffe would not agree to say that you cannot see stars in space (presumably this "lie" was to back up the fact that there are no stars in "faked" photographs of astronauts on the Moon). This claim is generally not believed - Kaysing made the error of saying that McAuliffe was the only woman onboard Challenger.

Related Topics:
Bill Kaysing - Apollo moon landings were faked

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At least three different texts, each one claiming to be the exact transcript of STS-51-L on-board voice communications, have appeared on the Internet. These purported transcripts describe the astronauts' last moments as a mixture of prayers and vocal struggle trying to save their vessel. However, NASA denies both the authenticity of these transcripts and the existence of any recordings after the 73 second point, when the breakup-induced power loss stopped the recorders. NASA has made available an official transcript http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/transcript.html, compiled from the various voice recorders onboard, and covering the period from 125 seconds before until 73 seconds after launch. Only 4 of the crewmembers actually speak, though. The last recorded remark is by the mission's pilot, Michael Smith, who says, simply, "Uh-oh."

Related Topics:
Transcript - NASA

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