"But over the course of human history, we have done things that are inherently dangerous because our curiosity gets the better of us. On 1 February, the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated as it returned to Earth from a science mission. Every one of them is an opportunity for disaster, and that's the nature of it. What was to be a stellar year for NASAcontinuing work on the international space station and double launches to Marsturned into a horrible supernova above Texas. ![]() "Everybody who talked about shuttle launches that are 'routine' - there is no such thing. "The nature of it just scared me every single time," he admits. A worthy venture, O'Keefe says, but - for all the wonder so many feel upon witnessing a launch - never one that should see people lose sight of the risk. Space is also increasingly the playground of private enterprise, with the likes of SpaceX and Blue Origin setting themselves grand targets to go further than humans have before. The site at Cape Canaveral has been a hub of excitement since November, when the launch of the Artemis mission kicked off NASA's bid to return people to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years. NASA commemorates the victims of Columbia, as well as its other fallen astronauts, every January, with flowers laid and tributes read during a memorial service at Kennedy Space Center. Image: Sean O'Keefe accepts a copy of the report from Admiral Harold Gehman "So I went into this with a determination to do whatever I could." "I knew, if we were facing loss of the crew, that this would be having the same impact on the agency that the Challenger accident had years before," he says. Scott Hubbard was picked as the only NASA representative on the investigative board to work with Air Force generals, Navy admirals, and former US astronauts to paint a detailed picture of why Columbia ended in tragedy. Not long later, the official investigation was launched. The breakup of Columbia had already occurred, its wreckage raining down on Texas while the crew's loved ones waited unawares at the Kennedy Space Center. "It got to within about two minutes of 00 - usually before you see the shuttle, you hear two sonic booms as the shuttle passes the sound barrier, which tells you it's about to land. Just like a launch day, we had a countdown clock, with these big numbers that would progressively roll downwards. "Normally, you can set your watch as to when the shuttle will come through the atmosphere. "The mood went from excitement and anticipation to despair, once it became evident that the shuttle wasn't coming home," he tells Sky News. ![]() The administrator at the time was Sean O'Keefe, who was with the families of the astronauts when it became clear something was wrong. Pic: NASAīefore the loss of the crew was even confirmed, Hubbard received a call from the NASA administrator's office asking him to represent the agency in an investigation into what happened. ![]() Challenger disappeared as white vapor bloomed. But 73 seconds after Challenger’s launch, that dream quickly became a nightmare. Image: The crew pictured aboard Columbia during its final mission. The space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after lift off.
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