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20 MB/600kbps WMV file of the Space Shuttle Columbia re-entering the earth's atmosphere

 

Video was shot at Wupatki National Monument in northern Arizona

Graphics for better understanding of time versus location

Chris Valentine's Home

On February 1, 2003 I traveled approximately 200 miles from my home in Phoenix Arizona so that I could witness the rare occurrence of a space shuttle reentering the Earth's atmosphere over the U.S.

Despite a high overcast that was dense enough to obscure virtually all celestial objects, Columbia made her appearance exactly where and when it was supposed to (online NASA Skywatch prediction table). It followed the exact course described based on my location coordinates.

(The timestamp on my camcorder was determined to be 6 seconds short of the correct time according to NASA's video analysis research)

3 seemingly odd sights occurred during a brief period in the middle of Columbia's transit. From approximately 6:55:40 to 6:56:04 three events caught my eye in real time- a very dim object falls behind and below plasma trail and sort of explodes like a dull firework. A couple seconds later a very bright "blob" of light separates from the main glow and drifts behind while staying apparently high in the plasma trail. This object remains visible for many seconds. Finally another "blob" separates from the glow and appears to fall quickly as compared to the previous event.

These three events have since been labeled debris events 13, 14 and 15.

Earlier on the tape what NASA calls "debris shower A" occurs. It looks like the trail brightens temporarily at about 6:54:17 on my tape. An analogy for this event might be to think of traveling in a car at a high rate of speed and then dumping an ashtray out the window.

In July 2003, NASA released the Early Sighting Assessment Team final report. Debris event 14...the bright blob on my video...was estimated to have a mass of 120lbs (+/- about 50lbs) when it came off the orbiter.

This WMV file falls far short of viewing the actual tape...I'd put it's fidelity at about 60% of the resolution of the videotape.

A link to detailed reports on video and photographic images from the STS-107 mission (sections E.2 and E.4)

 

Chris Valentine (EOC2-4-0017)

Some Other Shuttle Related Pages at CV.com...

Reentry Video Reconstruction Page

Question of Perception Page

NASA/Columbia Music Video Essay Page