Episode 12 (Part 2) - STS-107 (The Columbia Shuttle Disaster)
Release Date: 10/31/2020
Inside The Black Box
This is Part 2 of a two-part episode.
info_outline Episode 12 (Part 1) - STS-107 (The Columbia Shuttle Disaster)Inside The Black Box
In the early morning of 1st February 2003, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Mission Control Centre is a hive of activity.
info_outline Episode 11 - Air France 4590 (The Concorde Disaster)Inside The Black Box
On the 25th of July 2000 at 4:40pm, Air France Flight 4590 sits on the taxiway of Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris France. Today they will be flying aboard the Aerospatiale/BAC Concorde. The passengers aboard Concorde are embarking on the first stage of a luxurious journey, travelling to New York where they will board the MS Deutschland for a 14 night cruise of the Caribbean. The total complement is 109.
info_outline Episode 10 - Delta Airlines 191Inside The Black Box
In the early evening of the 2nd of August, 1985, a Lockheed L1011 Tristar is on final approach to land at Dallas Fort Worth Internatonal Airport.
info_outline Episode 9 - American Airlines 965Inside The Black Box
At 6:30pm on the 20th of December 1995, a Boeing 757-200 sits on the taxiway of Miami International Airport. The 155 passengers and 8 crew members aboard American Airlines flight 965 are growing impatient, eager to begin their journey to Cali, in Colombia.
info_outline Episode 8 - Alaska Airlines 261Inside The Black Box
On the 21st of January 2000 at 3:50pm, a McDonnel Douglas MD83 flies above the Pacific Ocean, about 25 miles off the Californian coast of the United States.
info_outline Episode 7 - Air France 447Inside The Black Box
At just after half past 1 in the morning on the 1st of June 2009, An Airbus A330-203 cruises at 35,000 feet above the Southern Atlantic Ocean. On board are 216 passengers and 12 crew members.
info_outline Episode 6 - CHC Helikopter Service 241Inside The Black Box
It is just after 11am on the 29th of April 2016. An Airbus Helicopters EC225 Super Puma touches down on a helipad in the North Sea. CHC Helikopter Services Flight 241 has just landed on the Gullfaks B Oil and Gas Platform in the Norwegian North Sea, about 80 miles off the Norwegian Coast.
info_outline Episode 5 - USAF Czar 52 (Fairchild B52 Incident)Inside The Black Box
On the afternoon of the 24th of June, 1994, a crowd has gathered by the runway of the Fairchild Air Force Base in the State of Washington in the United States. The group is here to watch a practice demonstration for the Fairchild Air Force Base Airshow, scheduled to take place the following day.
info_outline Episode 4 - Turkish Airlines 981Inside The Black Box
On a cool winter morning a McDonnell Douglas DC-10 touches down at Orly International Airport, 7km South of Paris. It is 11am on the 3rd of March 1974.
info_outlineThis is Part 2 of a two-part episode.
In the early morning of 1st February 2003, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Mission Control Centre is a hive of activity. The control room is located at the Lyndon B Johnson Space Centre in Texas. The Mission Control Centre is more commonly known by its callsign, so named because of the city it is located in, Houston. While the technology contained within the room has become more sophisticated over the years since the beginning of US spaceflight, the purpose of Mission Control has remained the same, manage the flight of NASA’s spacecraft after launch until landing.
This morning, the mission controllers will be overseeing the deorbit, reentry and landing of the Space Shuttle Orbiter, Columbia. It’s latest mission, STS-107 marks the 28th time the aircraft has launched into orbit, having completed a variety of missions throughout its 22 year career. Columbia is the oldest operational orbiter. While the three other orbiters, Atlantis, Discovery and Endeavour have focused on the construction of the new International Space Station in recent years, Columbia has had a different purpose. The 7 astronauts aboard the orbiter have just completed a 16 day scientific mission. Working 24 hours a day in two alternating shifts, the crew have completed 80 experiments with a particular focus on how microgravity affects humans and how they can adapt to the environment of space.
At 0815am the deorbit begins.