Space Mistakes — Season 1, Episode 6: Columbia
Documentary, Talk • 25 min • 1 season, 6 episodes
Episode synopsis
The loss of Space Shuttle Columbia stands as one of the worst disasters in spaceflight history. Go behind the scenes of the External Tank foam application process and discover why that seemingly insignificant bit of foam came off during launch, puncturing a hole in the leading edge of the wing - leading to catastrophic failure, loss of vehicle and loss of life.
About Space Mistakes
Amazing behind-the-scenes stories of NASA catastrophes and near misses, many unknown to the public. The science of exploration is imperfect - sometimes NASA must learn the hard way: Incorrect metric conversions, reverse installations, deadly chemical spills, and a near miss that could have resulted in a massive rocket fuel explosion that could have wiped out a small town - and almost did!