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NASA Showcasing Videotape from Shuttle Columbia
Aired February 28, 2003 - 13:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Speak of reference materials if you will, NASA right now has come across one that we've been very curious to see and they're now showcasing this videotape from the shuttle "Columbia" as it was coming in to land. Our John Zarrella is standing by in Miami as NASA is just now rolling this tape out for us all.
John?
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Leon. And this videotape has been looked at by NASA, has been looked at by the families. You can see there, that's Kalpana Chawla in the background there. Now, we've also got Rick Husband and Willie McCool, the commander and the pilot. Again, NASA looked at this video, showed the tape to the families, before it was released. And again there, Kalpana Chawla waving at the camera. And this was within the last few days.
Now, this tape was found on February 6th and it was found of course in Texas. And NASA decided now, today, to go ahead and release the tape. And it was found near Palestine, Texas, which is an area that has been fairly rich in the materials found from the space shuttle. Now, NASA does believe that there was more on the tape. This is about 13 minutes of videotape. And of course there you can see where it was found. About 13 minutes of videotape was recovered. They believe more was recorded but it was burned off. They don't know exactly how it all survived. Let's listen in to a portion of this videotape, as we are getting it in.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're just past the --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Okay, I have both gloves. Is that -- what's falling in the back, I guess. Let's move back it gently -- I got it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It might be -- some plasma an now --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Think so already?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- firing right now.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right -- actually --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've seen it out the front also.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's good to see that overhead right now --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kind of dull --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It will be obvious when the time comes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, Willie, I guess I could give you the can of --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: NO, let's don't do that --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Okay --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's just go ahead, and make sure you check your seat pressure --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right. [ no audio ]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Time check on the intercom --
Could be the advisers down -- cdr.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- one -- I don't have my gloves on yet --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's do that -- All right. Good enough.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So we're going to -- we have visors down now? No, no, no, no.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, just check your seat pressure --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's right. So then I'm going to go back off --
Yeah. OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Check over the thing -- [ no audio [ ..
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Starting to go a little bit more now --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. It's working -- [ no audio ]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's noisy in here, isn't it?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you receiving it --
I'm seeing it, doesn't show up nearly as much as the back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's going pretty good now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dawn, it's really neat, it's a bright orange yellow, out over the nose, all around the nose.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wait until you start seeing the swirl patterns out your -- you know, the left -- the right windows.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow. Looks like a blast furnace. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: See here --
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZARRELLA: What they're talking about there on the tape, the astronauts, is the plasma buildup, that's the hot gases they were shooting out the window there. Of course, that was Laurel Clark, astronaut Laurel Clark, who has the camera right now. And it's of course those hot plasma gases that one of the suspect theories that are believed -- again there -- you can see those flashes, the gas is building up outside the shuttle. And those gases of course believed now perhaps to have penetrated the left wing, ultimately leading to the disintegration of the shuttle Columbia. That, again, there on the left would be Commander Rick Husband. On the right is Willie McCool. You can see he's got a mirror there, looking in the mirror. We'll listen in a little bit more now to some more of this commentary.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 10-52 is what we were looking for, for --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 10-16, right? 16 here --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 2210 --
Yeah, correct, sorry. [ silence [ no audio ]
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZARRELLA: The videotape that we're looking at stopped at about 11 minutes prior to when NASA actually lost contact with the shuttle "Columbia." And, again, NASA believes there was more recorded but that that part of the tape did not survive. It's a miracle that any of that tape survived at all.
NASA is saying it's just sheer chance that the spool of videotape was found in Palestine, Texas. We don't have the details, Leon, as to where exactly it was found. But it was found on February 6th. And, again, it is perhaps the last videotape that we will ever see of that portion -- of that forward portion of the crew. The other three members of the crew were behind that, in the middeck section. So we do not have a videotape of the other three members of the crew. Leon?
HARRIS: Let me ask you this, John. We want to reiterate to the audience who may have some concerns about whether or not -- we're not being respectful enough of the memories of these people. But this tape was actually viewed by the family members first, before it has been made public. So there is no disrespect there.
But what I wonder, John,is do you know whether or not NASA has actually given copies of this videotape to the family members for them to have it for prosperity?
ZARRELLA: We don't know that. I would assume, certainly, that if the family members wanted copies of the videotape, it would be -- it would have been made available, and probably has been if they've asked for it.
But we do know that NASA has said that they showed the videotape to the families. And that was what they were going to do before it was released to the public. And I assume that the families all signed off on the fact that NASA was going to release it. Otherwise it would not have happened.
HARRIS: All right, how about this? And this is again, getting back to the investigation part of the whole thing. Does NASA believe that there's anything they could possibly learn from this videotape that can at least put them a step or half a step closer to figuring out exactly what happened?
ZARRELLA: Well, it's hard to say. I imagine experts -- and we know that the experts have already taken a look at this tape thoroughly, over and over and over again. And everything you see on the tape, they say, is normal. And it ends four minutes before the NASA folks in Houston began to see the high temperatures sensor readings on the left side of the wing and in the wheel well that we've heard about, those sensors beginning to go off scale with high temperature readings.
So somewhere in all of the video that may be lost from the point where the tape ends to the four minutes later when they start to have problems, which is a portion of the tape that probably could have been invaluable to the investigators, that portion of the tape is apparently lost. This is all they have. And they say that everything was nominal, normal, up until the point where the tape stops. Leon?
HARRIS: And we have watched these shuttle missions over the years. I know you've been there for launches and landings and everything. But have you ever seen the plasma as we've seen it on this videotape? I can't help but be fascinated by that.
ZARRELLA: Well, you know, there are some other videotapes which were shot in earlier missions that show incredible plasma flows around the vehicle. In fact, you can shoot it -- there have been some recorded videos from other NASA missions where they recorded out that window almost all the way, right down to where they touched down on the ground.
And had the "Columbia" crew survived the reentry, chances are that the videotape that they would have brought back would have showed some tremendous pictures of the plasma flow as well, as far down as they get it.
Now, an interesting note, there were 250 other tapes, NASA says, that were sent up with "Columbia" to shoot during the course of their mission. They were presumed locked in another part of the vehicle, stowed for reentry. This tape, Leon, is the only tape, so far, that they have found that has survived the accident.
HARRIS: That is absolutely amazing. And what's even more amazing is that it happens to be of the crew's final moments there in the cockpit area. While we're watching this tape, let me ask you this about something else, on a different topic, same subject here, the investigation of what happened there. Have there been any new revelations coming after yesterday's word about how the NASA administrator may not have been fully informed about all of the e-mail traffic and all the "what if"" scenarios that had been run by different engineers around NASA and been -- perhaps some of them quite tellingly almost predicting exactly what happened would happen?
ZARRELLA: Right. Well, you know, it is interesting that the NASA administrator and, of course, deputy administrator are saying, you know, had they known this, that, in fact, it might have been a red flag to them and they certainly would have tried to investigate further, had they known about these e-mail conversations, which were carried out on at a fairly high level within the NASA engineering team. But they didn't know.
And it's unfortunate because it is starkly reminiscent of what happened after the Challenger accident, when there were people who were trying to get the word up the chain of command that, in fact, the o-ring seals might not hold in the cold temperatures and there could be problems with hot gasses penetrating the o-rings of the solid rocket boosters.
And, as we know, that's exactly what ultimately happened there, with the "Challenger" accident and the explosion at 73 seconds after liftoff, was because the messages didn't get up the food chain.
And you wonder now if there is something, again, institutionally wrong with the management structure at NASA. And that is what the administrator himself said yesterday, that he hopes that the commission investigating the accident will look into is there something that needs to be done differently in the way the chain of command is informed about any speculation or thought process amongst the engineering team, particularly in circumstances like this.
Leon?
HARRIS: Thanks, John. John Zarrella joining us from Miami with -- wow that incredible view of those last moments of that shuttle "Columbia" crew as they were coming home. Thanks, John, we'll see you soon.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired February 28, 2003 - 13:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Speak of reference materials if you will, NASA right now has come across one that we've been very curious to see and they're now showcasing this videotape from the shuttle "Columbia" as it was coming in to land. Our John Zarrella is standing by in Miami as NASA is just now rolling this tape out for us all.
John?
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Leon. And this videotape has been looked at by NASA, has been looked at by the families. You can see there, that's Kalpana Chawla in the background there. Now, we've also got Rick Husband and Willie McCool, the commander and the pilot. Again, NASA looked at this video, showed the tape to the families, before it was released. And again there, Kalpana Chawla waving at the camera. And this was within the last few days.
Now, this tape was found on February 6th and it was found of course in Texas. And NASA decided now, today, to go ahead and release the tape. And it was found near Palestine, Texas, which is an area that has been fairly rich in the materials found from the space shuttle. Now, NASA does believe that there was more on the tape. This is about 13 minutes of videotape. And of course there you can see where it was found. About 13 minutes of videotape was recovered. They believe more was recorded but it was burned off. They don't know exactly how it all survived. Let's listen in to a portion of this videotape, as we are getting it in.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're just past the --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Okay, I have both gloves. Is that -- what's falling in the back, I guess. Let's move back it gently -- I got it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It might be -- some plasma an now --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Think so already?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- firing right now.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right -- actually --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've seen it out the front also.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's good to see that overhead right now --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kind of dull --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It will be obvious when the time comes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, Willie, I guess I could give you the can of --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: NO, let's don't do that --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Okay --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's just go ahead, and make sure you check your seat pressure --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right. [ no audio ]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Time check on the intercom --
Could be the advisers down -- cdr.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- one -- I don't have my gloves on yet --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's do that -- All right. Good enough.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So we're going to -- we have visors down now? No, no, no, no.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, just check your seat pressure --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's right. So then I'm going to go back off --
Yeah. OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Check over the thing -- [ no audio [ ..
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Starting to go a little bit more now --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. It's working -- [ no audio ]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's noisy in here, isn't it?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you receiving it --
I'm seeing it, doesn't show up nearly as much as the back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's going pretty good now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dawn, it's really neat, it's a bright orange yellow, out over the nose, all around the nose.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wait until you start seeing the swirl patterns out your -- you know, the left -- the right windows.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow. Looks like a blast furnace. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: See here --
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZARRELLA: What they're talking about there on the tape, the astronauts, is the plasma buildup, that's the hot gases they were shooting out the window there. Of course, that was Laurel Clark, astronaut Laurel Clark, who has the camera right now. And it's of course those hot plasma gases that one of the suspect theories that are believed -- again there -- you can see those flashes, the gas is building up outside the shuttle. And those gases of course believed now perhaps to have penetrated the left wing, ultimately leading to the disintegration of the shuttle Columbia. That, again, there on the left would be Commander Rick Husband. On the right is Willie McCool. You can see he's got a mirror there, looking in the mirror. We'll listen in a little bit more now to some more of this commentary.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 10-52 is what we were looking for, for --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 10-16, right? 16 here --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 2210 --
Yeah, correct, sorry. [ silence [ no audio ]
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZARRELLA: The videotape that we're looking at stopped at about 11 minutes prior to when NASA actually lost contact with the shuttle "Columbia." And, again, NASA believes there was more recorded but that that part of the tape did not survive. It's a miracle that any of that tape survived at all.
NASA is saying it's just sheer chance that the spool of videotape was found in Palestine, Texas. We don't have the details, Leon, as to where exactly it was found. But it was found on February 6th. And, again, it is perhaps the last videotape that we will ever see of that portion -- of that forward portion of the crew. The other three members of the crew were behind that, in the middeck section. So we do not have a videotape of the other three members of the crew. Leon?
HARRIS: Let me ask you this, John. We want to reiterate to the audience who may have some concerns about whether or not -- we're not being respectful enough of the memories of these people. But this tape was actually viewed by the family members first, before it has been made public. So there is no disrespect there.
But what I wonder, John,is do you know whether or not NASA has actually given copies of this videotape to the family members for them to have it for prosperity?
ZARRELLA: We don't know that. I would assume, certainly, that if the family members wanted copies of the videotape, it would be -- it would have been made available, and probably has been if they've asked for it.
But we do know that NASA has said that they showed the videotape to the families. And that was what they were going to do before it was released to the public. And I assume that the families all signed off on the fact that NASA was going to release it. Otherwise it would not have happened.
HARRIS: All right, how about this? And this is again, getting back to the investigation part of the whole thing. Does NASA believe that there's anything they could possibly learn from this videotape that can at least put them a step or half a step closer to figuring out exactly what happened?
ZARRELLA: Well, it's hard to say. I imagine experts -- and we know that the experts have already taken a look at this tape thoroughly, over and over and over again. And everything you see on the tape, they say, is normal. And it ends four minutes before the NASA folks in Houston began to see the high temperatures sensor readings on the left side of the wing and in the wheel well that we've heard about, those sensors beginning to go off scale with high temperature readings.
So somewhere in all of the video that may be lost from the point where the tape ends to the four minutes later when they start to have problems, which is a portion of the tape that probably could have been invaluable to the investigators, that portion of the tape is apparently lost. This is all they have. And they say that everything was nominal, normal, up until the point where the tape stops. Leon?
HARRIS: And we have watched these shuttle missions over the years. I know you've been there for launches and landings and everything. But have you ever seen the plasma as we've seen it on this videotape? I can't help but be fascinated by that.
ZARRELLA: Well, you know, there are some other videotapes which were shot in earlier missions that show incredible plasma flows around the vehicle. In fact, you can shoot it -- there have been some recorded videos from other NASA missions where they recorded out that window almost all the way, right down to where they touched down on the ground.
And had the "Columbia" crew survived the reentry, chances are that the videotape that they would have brought back would have showed some tremendous pictures of the plasma flow as well, as far down as they get it.
Now, an interesting note, there were 250 other tapes, NASA says, that were sent up with "Columbia" to shoot during the course of their mission. They were presumed locked in another part of the vehicle, stowed for reentry. This tape, Leon, is the only tape, so far, that they have found that has survived the accident.
HARRIS: That is absolutely amazing. And what's even more amazing is that it happens to be of the crew's final moments there in the cockpit area. While we're watching this tape, let me ask you this about something else, on a different topic, same subject here, the investigation of what happened there. Have there been any new revelations coming after yesterday's word about how the NASA administrator may not have been fully informed about all of the e-mail traffic and all the "what if"" scenarios that had been run by different engineers around NASA and been -- perhaps some of them quite tellingly almost predicting exactly what happened would happen?
ZARRELLA: Right. Well, you know, it is interesting that the NASA administrator and, of course, deputy administrator are saying, you know, had they known this, that, in fact, it might have been a red flag to them and they certainly would have tried to investigate further, had they known about these e-mail conversations, which were carried out on at a fairly high level within the NASA engineering team. But they didn't know.
And it's unfortunate because it is starkly reminiscent of what happened after the Challenger accident, when there were people who were trying to get the word up the chain of command that, in fact, the o-ring seals might not hold in the cold temperatures and there could be problems with hot gasses penetrating the o-rings of the solid rocket boosters.
And, as we know, that's exactly what ultimately happened there, with the "Challenger" accident and the explosion at 73 seconds after liftoff, was because the messages didn't get up the food chain.
And you wonder now if there is something, again, institutionally wrong with the management structure at NASA. And that is what the administrator himself said yesterday, that he hopes that the commission investigating the accident will look into is there something that needs to be done differently in the way the chain of command is informed about any speculation or thought process amongst the engineering team, particularly in circumstances like this.
Leon?
HARRIS: Thanks, John. John Zarrella joining us from Miami with -- wow that incredible view of those last moments of that shuttle "Columbia" crew as they were coming home. Thanks, John, we'll see you soon.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
