After the Chinese missile accident … the most famous 7 space disasters

Space travel is hard work that requires careful calculations and more careful procedures when situations get tough, to avoid the most catastrophic scenarios when conditions deteriorate.

Although such events are not as common as the Chinese out-of-control missile, which is now in orbit around the planet, waiting to penetrate the atmosphere and fall, space accidents remain possible. Here is a list of seven space disasters, according to the British information encyclopedia Britannica.

1 – Water leakage
Luca Parmitano, an Italian astronaut with the European Space Agency, got a little bit of water while working outside the International Space Station on July 16, 2013.

During Flight 36 to the International Space Station, Parmitano’s helmet unexpectedly began to fill with liquid, and when he was in space, free water floated around his entire head, which ultimately made it impossible for him to hear or speak to other astronauts.

Although it may seem that the solution to the Parmitano problem was evident, unfortunately, it was not the water from a drinking bag but from a leak in the cooling system and it was not safe to drink.

Plus, drinking water that floats freely in the air does not seem so easy. The journey in space lasted more than an hour before he returned to the International Space Station and released his suit, completely unharmed but needed a new towel (he got it right away).

The accident and the cancellation of the mission marked the second shortest spacewalk in the history of the International Station.

2- The Challenger shuttle disaster

The space shuttle Challenger disaster on January 28, 1986, was one of the most devastating days in the history of space exploration.

Just over a minute after the launch of the space shuttle, a malfunction of the spacecraft’s “O” rings – the rubber seals separating the rocket boosters – caused a fire that destabilized the boosters and deployed the rocket itself. The shuttle was moving faster than the speed of sound and quickly began to collapse.

The disaster resulted in the deaths of all the astronauts on board, including the civilian Christa McAuliffe, a participant in the NASA “Teacher in Space” project that was to teach classes and conduct experiments while in space.

The shuttle’s extended mission included deploying satellites and testing instruments to study astronomy and Halley’s comet. The shuttle launch was not widely televised, but the shuttle’s explosion and crash was visible to viewers on the ground.

The launch itself, which was conducted in 26 ° F (3 ° C) weather, was expected to encounter problems by members of the engineering team who were aware of the dangers to “or” the rings due to these low temperatures.

Despite these concerns, the mission continued as planned because NASA was against delaying the shuttle’s launch any longer, as it had already been postponed several times.

The disaster led to the temporary suspension of the space shuttle program and the creation of the Rogers Commission to determine the cause and error of the disaster.

3- Apollo 12

The second manned lunar flight was not without some unfortunate accidents. When Apollo 12 began taking off on November 14, 1969, the upper part of the shuttle was hit by two different lightning strikes that could have endangered the spacecraft and the mission.

The first strike was visible to the spectating audience, causing noise and concern about the safety of the mission. But despite the fear, it was decided through a quick examination of all the spacecraft’s systems that no damage had occurred to the spacecraft, and it set off to the moon exactly as planned.

It was returning to Earth that caused more trouble when the spacecraft “fell” into the ocean while returning to Earth, and a strong wave struck the spacecraft’s body, causing it to vibrate and swing from its parachutes.

This force dropped a 16 mm film camera from where it was attached to astronaut Alan Bean’s head, causing a 1-inch (2.5 cm) cut. Bean turned out to be fine, as Conrad worked quickly as a medic and bandaged the wound.

4- Soyuz 1

Vladimir Komarov was one of the first group of Russian-Soviet astronauts chosen to attempt space travel, and he was also the first person to enter outer space twice, although the second time was unfortunately the last.

During the “Soyuz 1” flight, the first Soviet spacecraft to finally reach the moon, Komarov encountered problems designing his spacecraft that led to his death.

The mission plan was difficult, as the spacecraft would orbit the Earth and then meet with “Soyuz 2”. The two spacecraft would have precisely matched their orbital velocity to test the first step in docking with two spacecraft together.

After Komarov was in Earth orbit and it was time to launch “Soyuz-2” and meet it, problems arose with the spacecraft that were largely ignored, and the “Soyuz-2” mission was halted.

The mission control center was able to determine that one of the solar panels on the “Soyuz 1” did not fire and was significantly reducing the power of the spacecraft. Equipment requiring power from these solar panels was out of order, creating control difficulties.

It was decided that the mission could not continue, and Komarov began preparing for his return to Earth. After some problems penetrating the atmosphere, the spacecraft’s parachutes were deployed but incorrectly, making it impossible to slow the spacecraft.

“Soyuz 1” crashed to Earth on April 24, 1967, killing the astronaut Vladimir Komarov, who was the first death in a spaceflight, and since his death, he has been honored with memorials and relics near the crash site, and in Russia for his bravery and skill .

5- Mir 18

Space explorers need to remain in good physical health during their time in outer space, and because of this necessity, space stations contain exercise equipment that astronauts can use to keep fit.

During a mission to the Mir Space Station in 1995, astronaut Norman Thagard was trying to do so with a piece of exercise equipment to perform deep bends of the knee. The equipment uses an elastic band that fastens to the foot to create resistance.

While Thagard was playing sports, one of the straps snapped off his foot and flew up, hitting him in the eye, and after the initial shock of the injury, Thagard was agonizing and having difficulty looking at the light (something hard to avoid in outer space).

After prescribing steroid eye drops, which appeared to be readily available on the space station, Thagard’s eye began to heal and everything was back to normal.

6- The Columbia Shuttle disaster

The disintegration of the space shuttle Columbia on February 1, 2003, when it returned to the atmosphere, was one of the most traumatic accidents in the history of spaceflight.

The Columbia disaster was the second to have occurred during NASA’s space shuttle program after “Challenger”, which also caused widespread mourning and concerns about the space program.
The accident occurred during takeoff due to a piece of foam intended to absorb and isolate the shuttle’s fuel tank from the heat and prevent the formation of ice. The large piece of foam landed on the shuttle’s left wing and created a hole.

Although NASA officials were aware of the damage, its severity was not apparent due to the low-quality cameras used to monitor the launch of the shuttle, and knowing that the foam had fallen regularly from the previous shuttles and did not cause serious damage, and NASA officials believed that there was no To worry about.

But when Colombia tried to return after completing its mission, gases and smoke entered the left wing through the hatch and caused the wing to break, causing the rest of the shuttle to disintegrate after seven minutes of landing.

The crew, six American astronauts and the first Israeli astronaut in space died in the accident, and the NASA space shuttle program was suspended again after the disaster.

Despite the tragedy, an experiment conducted during the expedition that studied the effects of weightlessness on the physiology of the worms, discovered that the worms, left in a petri dish, are still alive, a symbol of the dedication of the Columbia crew and a monument to their efforts.

7- The Apollo Soyuz Test Project

The “Apollo-Soyuz” test project in July 1975 was a feat of both space travel and politics, as it was the first joint space flight between the United States and the Soviet Union and marked the end of the space race between the two countries.

Surprisingly, the mission itself ended almost flawlessly, as the two spacecraft met in orbit around Earth and docked on each other, allowing space explorers to move between the two spacecraft. After 44 hours they parted, and after another few days, the two vehicles began returning to Earth.

During re-entry, a malfunction in the altitude control system caused toxic nitrogen tetraxide to enter the cabin of the American Apollo astronauts, but fortunately, the cabin was ventilated once the spacecraft landed and none of the astronauts were fatally injured.

They were taken to hospital and found that they had developed a type of pneumonia caused by the chemicals, but they all recovered within weeks.