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==Accidents== In the course of 135 missions flown, two orbiters were destroyed, with loss of crew totalling 14 astronauts: * ''[[Space Shuttle Challenger|Challenger]]'' β lost 73 seconds after liftoff, [[STS-51-L]], January 28, 1986 * ''[[Space Shuttle Columbia|Columbia]]'' β lost approximately 16 minutes before its expected landing, [[STS-107]], February 1, 2003 There was also one [[Space Shuttle abort modes|abort-to-orbit]] and some fatal accidents on the ground during launch preparations. ===STS-51-L (''Challenger'', 1986)=== {{main|Space Shuttle Challenger disaster}} [[File:Challenger explosion.jpg|thumb|right|In 1986, ''Challenger'' disintegrated one minute and 13 seconds after liftoff.]] Close-up video footage of ''Challenger'' during its final launch on January 28, 1986, clearly shows that the problems began due to an [[Space Shuttle Challenger disaster|O-ring failure]] on the right solid rocket booster (SRB). The hot plume of gas leaking from the failed joint caused the collapse of the external tank, which then resulted in the orbiter's disintegration due to high aerodynamic stress. The accident resulted in the loss of all seven astronauts on board. ''[[Space Shuttle Endeavour|Endeavour]]'' (OV-105) was built to replace ''Challenger'' (using structural spare parts originally intended for the other orbiters) and delivered in May 1991; it was first launched a year later. After the loss of ''Challenger'', NASA grounded the Space Shuttle program for over two years, making numerous safety changes recommended by the [[Rogers Commission Report]], which included a redesign of the SRB joint that failed in the ''Challenger'' accident. Other safety changes included a new escape system for use when the orbiter was in controlled flight, improved landing gear tires and brakes, and the reintroduction of pressure suits for Shuttle astronauts (these had been discontinued after [[STS-4]]; astronauts wore only coveralls and oxygen helmets from that point on until the ''Challenger'' accident). The Shuttle program continued in September 1988 with the launch of ''Discovery'' on [[STS-26]]. The accidents did not just affect the technical design of the orbiter, but also NASA.<ref name="history.nasa.gov"/> Quoting some recommendations made by the post-''Challenger'' Rogers commission:<ref name="history.nasa.gov"/> {{Blockquote|<poem> '''Recommendation I''' β The faulty Solid Rocket Motor joint and seal must be changed. This could be a new design eliminating the joint or a redesign of the current joint and seal. ... the Administrator of NASA should request the National Research Council to form an independent Solid Rocket Motor design oversight committee to implement the Commission's design recommendations and oversee the design effort. '''Recommendation II''' β The Shuttle Program Structure should be reviewed. ... NASA should encourage the transition of qualified astronauts into agency management Positions. '''Recommendation III''' β NASA and the primary shuttle contractors should review all Criticality 1, 1R, 2, and 2R items and hazard analyses. '''Recommendation IV''' β NASA should establish an Office of Safety, Reliability and Quality Assurance to be headed by an Associate Administrator, reporting directly to the NASA Administrator. '''Recommendation VI''' β NASA must take actions to improve landing safety. The tire, brake and nosewheel system must be improved. '''Recommendation VII''' β Make all efforts to provide a crew escape system for use during controlled gliding flight. '''Recommendation VIII''' β The nation's reliance on the shuttle as its principal space launch capability created a relentless pressure on NASA to increase the flight rate ... NASA must establish a flight rate that is consistent with its resources. </poem>}} === STS-107 (''Columbia'', 2003) === {{main|Space Shuttle Columbia disaster}} [[File:STS-107, final moments in cabin (Space Shuttle Columbia disaster).webm|thumb|Video of ''Columbia''{{'}}s final moments, filmed by the crew.]] [[File:Thermal protection system inspections from ISS - Shuttle nose.jpg|thumb|right|Space Shuttle ''Discovery'' as it approaches the International Space Station during [[STS-114]] on July 28, 2005. This was the Shuttle's "return to flight" mission after the ''Columbia'' disaster]] The Shuttle program operated accident-free for seventeen years and 88 missions after the ''Challenger'' disaster, until [[Space Shuttle Columbia disaster|''Columbia'' broke up on reentry]], killing all seven crew members, on February 1, 2003. The [[ultimate cause]] of the accident was a piece of foam separating from the external tank moments after liftoff and striking the leading edge of the orbiter's left wing, puncturing one of the reinforced carbon-carbon (RCC) panels that covered the wing edge and protected it during reentry. As ''Columbia'' reentered the atmosphere at the end of an otherwise normal mission, hot gas penetrated the wing and destroyed it from the inside out, causing the orbiter to lose control and disintegrate. After the ''Columbia'' disaster, the International Space Station operated on a skeleton crew of two for more than two years and was serviced primarily by Russian spacecraft. While the "Return to Flight" mission [[STS-114]] in 2005 was successful, a similar piece of foam from a different portion of the tank was shed. Although the debris did not strike ''Discovery'', the program was grounded once again for this reason. The second "Return to Flight" mission, [[STS-121]] launched on July 4, 2006, at 14:37 (EDT). Two previous launches were scrubbed because of lingering thunderstorms and high winds around the launch pad, and the launch took place despite objections from its chief engineer and safety head. A five-inch (13 cm) crack in the foam insulation of the external tank gave cause for concern; however, the Mission Management Team gave the go for launch.<ref>{{Cite web|title=NASA wants shuttle to fly despite safety misgivings|url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2006/jun/26/20060626-110227-5543r/|access-date=February 8, 2023|publisher=The Washington Times | last= Chien | first = Philip |date=June 26, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326030503/https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2006/jun/26/20060626-110227-5543r/ |archive-date=March 26, 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref> This mission increased the ISS crew to three. ''Discovery'' touched down successfully on July 17, 2006, at 09:14 (EDT) on Runway 15 at [[Kennedy Space Center]]. Following the success of [[STS-121]], all subsequent missions were completed without major foam problems, and the construction of the ISS was completed (during the [[STS-118]] mission in August 2007, the orbiter was again struck by a foam fragment on liftoff, but this damage was minimal compared to the damage sustained by ''Columbia''). The ''Columbia'' Accident Investigation Board, in its report, noted the reduced risk to the crew when a Shuttle flew to the International Space Station (ISS), as the station could be used as a safe haven for the crew awaiting rescue in the event that damage to the orbiter on ascent made it unsafe for reentry. The board recommended that for the remaining flights, the Shuttle always orbit with the station. Prior to STS-114, NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe declared that all future flights of the Space Shuttle would go to the ISS, precluding the possibility of executing the final [[Hubble Space Telescope]] servicing mission which had been scheduled before the ''Columbia'' accident, despite the fact that millions of dollars worth of upgrade equipment for Hubble were ready and waiting in NASA warehouses. Many dissenters, including astronauts {{who|date=September 2013}}, asked NASA management to reconsider allowing the mission, but initially the director stood firm. On October 31, 2006, [[NASA]] announced approval of the launch of ''Atlantis'' for the fifth and final shuttle servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope, scheduled for August 28, 2008. However SM4/[[STS-125]] eventually launched in May 2009. One impact of ''Columbia'' was that future crewed launch vehicles, namely the [[Ares I]], had a special emphasis on crew safety compared to other considerations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.space.com/7126-dumping-nasa-ares-rocket-cost-billions.html|title=Dumping NASA's New Ares I Rocket Would Cost Billions|website=[[Space.com]]|date=August 12, 2009 |last1=Halvorson |first1=Todd |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221209000024/https://www.space.com/7126-dumping-nasa-ares-rocket-cost-billions.html |archive-date=December 9, 2022 |url-status=live }}</ref>
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