[yogipatel]

I forget where I learned this from, but the astronauts were also very likely to be unconscious very soon after the break up of the shuttle. They died when they hit the water, but they probably weren't conscious. Not that that makes it any better.

[noarchy]

Some of them may have been conscious: "At least some of the astronauts were likely alive and briefly conscious after the breakup, as three of the four Personal Egress Air Packs (PEAPs) on the flight deck were found to have been activated. Investigators found their remaining unused air supply roughly consistent with the expected consumption during the 2 minute 45 second post-breakup trajectory."

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Challenger_disast...

[nickff]

It was mentioned in the MIT OCW 16.885/ESD35J lecture series that they were likely conscious briefly while still ascending, when they turned on those PEAPs, (after the shuttle had disintegrated); but they were later unconscious, because of the high altitude and low pressures the non-airtight cockpit was subjected to.

Source: http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/aeronautics-and-astronautics/16-8...

[pekinb]

really? I think that makes it significantly better.

[ars]

I too thought so at first, but after reflection I think it's worse.

[mcritz]

In former astronaut Mike Mullane's book Riding Rockets he details how some of the Challenger's controls had been moved from their standard launch positions. NASA tests would later confirm that they could not have been moved by the force of the initial explosion nor the impact with the ocean.

At least some of the Challener crew survived the blast, and died in panic.

[dctoedt]

> and died in panic

What makes you think that's the case? In The Right Stuff, Tom Wolfe tells of test pilots in out-of-control aircraft who remained firmly in command of themselves, trying A, then B, then whatever they or the ground crew could think of, right up until impact.