Launch on Need by Daniel Guiteras (small books to read txt) 📗

“Today, we learned that NASA engineers’ worst fears were confirmed by a spacewalk that involved two astronauts’ physical inspection of the wing. We now know Columbia’s wing is severely damaged.

“She won’t fly again. Columbia is mortally damaged.

“Columbia’s crew will not be coming back to Earth without dramatic intervention from NASA.

“The seven lives of our international crew are in grave danger. We must go back into space and rescue them. It is their only hope; it is our single duty. And this great nation of America, which has been blessed with the resources to make space travel possible, will use all resources necessary, our neve-rending human spirit, and our full capacity to overcome challenges to save these seven great men and women.

“Shortly after I was informed of Columbia’s situation, I contacted Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee of India. I assured them both that America would do everything in our power to bring their compatriots back home safely.

“I have also been in contact with William Atherton, NASA’s administrator. I have assured him he will have the full support of the White House and Congress in obtaining whatever resources are needed to effect a rescue of Columbia’s crew…”

Part II

The Challenge

Chapter 25

Columbia Flight Day 6

Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2003

HOUSTON’S WILLIAM P. HOBBY AIRPORT bustled like it did on any given Tuesday. The central concourse was alive even at this hour, with newsstands, designer-apparel boutiques and pastry carts all ready for business, indifferent to the time of day, their lights and signage glaring into the eyes of weary travelers.

He made a quick check of his watch; it was 5:10 in the morning. In the central lobby, the smell of barbecue was already in the air. Harlon’s BBQ was ramping up—this was “Tasty Tuesday,” after all. They’ll be standing in line for soul food, Ken Brown thought as he passed the restaurant. Smothered chops and steaks, melted butter on steaming cornbread—it sounded appetizing to him even this early.

No, there was nothing different about this Tuesday as far as the airport was concerned. There were no large-scale changes to flight schedules, no staffing shortages, no incoming dignitaries to muck things up. It was just another weekday at the airport.

Life moved on.

Brown continued walking through the airport, until he reached the American Eagle desk for gate C52. Under his left arm, clad in his navy sport coat, the New York Times beckoned with a lead story even a NASA veteran like Brown had never seen:

“COLUMBIA’S CREW IN PERIL

NASA, President, confirm rescue mission only option for crew survival.”

He handed his ticket to the agent and waited impatiently for his seat assignment. The New York Times article pulled on his coat sleeve, demanding his attention like an overtired 5-year-old child.

“Ah, okay, I show a single seat,” the ticketing agent said, “row nine seat A. Are you familiar with the ER4 aircraft?”

“Yes I am, A9 will be fine,” Brown said, remembering the ER4’s three seats per row, one-two configuration, which would give him a window on his left and an aisle on his right—perfect isolation.

While the agent typed some more and waited for the boarding pass to print, Brown thought about Stangley’s phone call last night.

“I made the front page, above the fold even,” Stangley had told Brown with youthful enthusiasm. “It’s the best placement of my career!” Brown smiled, remembering the conversation.

“Here are your boarding passes, Mr. Brown. I’ve booked you all the way through to Orlando.”

“Thank you.”

Brown searched for a seat in the lobby and found two empty seats in the second row. He sat down and placed his briefcase on the empty seat next to him. Then he began reading his newspaper, carefully consuming every terrible word.

The New York Times

Jan. 21, 2003

NASA, President Confirm Rescue Only Option For

Crew Survival

By John Stangley

HOUSTON, Texas.

The president of the United States, along with a panel of experts from NASA, confirmed yesterday that Space Shuttle Columbia’s international crew of seven astronauts will be unable to return to Earth aboard their damaged orbiter, and that their only chance of survival is for NASA to launch another shuttle to rescue them.

Yesterday’s announcement came after photo/video engineers at NASA had spent the past several days reviewing launch films and satellite imaging in an attempt to better understand the severity of Columbia’s wing damage, which is believed to have occurred during last Thursday morning’s launch.

The actual severity of the damage became alarmingly clear yesterday morning, when Columbia’s astronauts were called on by Mission Control in Houston to perform an unplanned spacewalk and visually inspect Columbia’s left wing. The inspection revealed a hole along the wing’s leading edge measuring 18 inches wide, 12 inches high, and 7 inches deep.

The location of the damage was particularly concerning to NASA engineers, since the hole caused a complete breach of Columbia’s protective heat shield system—a system necessary for the orbiter spacecraft and its crew to survive the deadly heat of atmospheric reentry.

“The feeling in the room was like silent terror, that’s all I remember,” said Gerald Conner, a spokesperson for NASA, describing the reaction at Mission Control as engineers there watched for the first time video taken by the astronauts during their wing-inspection spacewalk.

“We’ve never had to deal with this type of problem in the past,” Conner told reporters. “There will be little margin for error as we execute our rescue plan—as we rush Atlantis to the launch pad. Every step of the process, from the orbiter processing all the way out to the launch pad, will essentially need to be flawless. There’s just a huge amount of uncertainty and countless variables with something as complex as