Columbia's eerste beelden en laatste geluiden

Een stukje video en een stukje audio over de ramp met de Space Shuttle Columbia. In dit videofragment (MPEG, 464 KB) van de lancering op 16 januari is te zien hoe een stuk isolatiemateriaal loskomt van de grote brandstoftank, naar beneden valt, en tegen de onderkant van de linkervleugel wegglijdt. En dit geluidsfragment (MP3, 862 KB) laat de laatste minuten horen van de gesprekken tussen de astronauten en het vluchtleidingscentrum. Merkwaardig is dat de allerlaatste zin "Roger, but..." hier niet te horen is. Bij het beluisteren van dit geluidsfragment kun je meevolgen op de transcriptie hieronder:



Columbia: Houston, we're going to start AP's one and three now...

Houston: And Willie, we're with you on remaining AP start...

Columbia: Houston, here comes (unintelligible)...

Houston: And we're ready Willie, no deltas...

Columbia: Copy, no deltas...

Houston: And Columbia, Houston. The hyde-fluid thermal conditioning will not be required today. We'll meet you on the carts...

Columbia: We copy Houston. Hyde-fluid thermal conditioning not required. And we copy going to the carts ...

Houston: And Rick, uh, don't want to lead you astray, and don't forget about the, uh, stuff on page three dash forty-four ...

Columbia: Flight, we're checking that. We got the, uh, flight controller power on and we're working through the rest of it, as well. Thanks...

Houston: Sounds good...

Houston: Columbia, Houston. For Rick we'll take another item twenty-seven please...

Columbia: Yeah, thanks for that Houston. Uh, we gave you an item twenty-seven - we pumped the stick earlier...

Houston: Not a problem, Rick ...

Columbia: And Houston, we'll get to three oh four at five minutes…

Houston: Rick, we're ready for ops three oh four...

(approximately 60 secs of silence)

Columbia: ... and uh Hous ... (partial message - unintelligible)...

Houston: And Columbia, Houston, we see your tyre pressure messages and we did not copy your last ...

(28 secs of intermittent static)

Houston: Columbia, Houston. COM check...

Houston: Columbia, Houston. UHF COM check...

Houston: Columbia, Houston. UHF COM check...

Houston: Columbia, Houston. UHF COM check...

Houston: Columbia, Houston. UHF COM check...

Houston: Columbia, Houston. UHF COM Check...