The AFU and Urban Legend Archive Death Challenger transcript Select a topic - - - - - - - - Home Searches AFU FAQ - - - - - - - - AFU Animals Books Celebrities Classic Collegiate Death Disney Drugs Food GIF Language Legal Medical Misc Movies Politics Products Religion Science Sex Songs TV - - - - - - - - Other sites

From: Don Coyote <doncoyote@wi.net>
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Cecil Adams on the "Challenger Transcripts"
Date: 27 Jan 1996 14:07:19 GMT

Below is the offical version of the Challenger transcript, for the information of anyone following this thread.

Don Coyote
mailto:doncoyote@wi.net
http://member.aol.com/doncoyote/index.html

National Aeronautics and
Space Administration

Washington, D C.
20546

NASA has completed its analysis of the Challenger operational recorder voice tape. The enclosed transcript reveals the comments of Commander Francis R.Scobee, Pilot Michael J. Smith, Mission Specialist 1 Ellison S. Onizuka, and Mission Specialist 2 Judith A. Resnik for the period of T-2:05 prior to launch through approximately T+73 seconds when loss of all data occurred. The operational recorder is automatically activated at T-2:05 and normally runs throughout the mission. During the period of the prelaunch and the launch phase covered by the voice tape, Mission Specialist 3 Ronald E. McNair, Payload Specialist 1 S. Christa McAuliffe, and Payload Specialist 2 Gregory B. Jarvis were seated in the middeck and could monitor all voice activity but did not make any voice reports or comments.

TRANSCRIPT OF THE CHALLENGER CREW COMMENTS FROM THE OPERATIONAL RECORDER

CDR.....Scobee
PLT.....Smith

MS 1....Onizuka
MS 2....Resnik

The references to "NASA" indicate explanatory references NASA provided to the Presidential Commission.)

Time              Crew            Crew
(Min:Sec).........Position        Comment

T-2:05............MS 2 Would you give that back to me?

T-2:03............MS 2 Security blanket.

T-2:02............MS 2 Hmm.

T-1:58............CDR    Two minutes downstairs; you gotta watch
                         running down there?

(NASA: Two minutes till launch.)

T-1:47............PLT OK there goes the lox arm. (NASA: Liquid oxygen supply arm to ET.)

T-1:46............CDR Goes the beanie cap. (NASA: Liquid oxygen vent cap.)

T-1:44............MS 1 Doesn't it go the other way?

T-1:42............ Laughter.

T-1:39............MS 1 Now I see it; I see it.

T-1:39............PLT God I hope not Ellison.

T-1:38............MS 1 I couldn't see it moving; it was behind the center screen.
(NASA: Obstructed view of liquid oxygen supply arm.)

T-1:33. .........MS 2 Got your harnesses locked? (NASA: Seat restraints.)

T-1:29............PLT What for?

T-1:28............CDR     I won't lock mine; I might have to reach 
                          something.

T-1:24............PLT       Ooh kaaaay.

T-1:04............MS 1      Dick's thinking of somebody there.

T-1:03............CDR       Unhuh.

T-59..............CDR      One minute downstairs.

(NASA: One minute till launch.)

T-52..............MS 2     Cabin Pressure is probably going to give us 
                           an alarm.

(NASA: Caution and warning alarm. Routine occurrence during prelaunch).

T-50..............CDR OK.

T-47..............CDR OK there.

T-43..............PLT Alarm looks good. (NASA: Cabin pressure is acceptable.)

T-42..............CDR OK.

T-40..............PLT Ullage pressures are up. (NASA: External tank ullage pressure.)

T-34..............PLT Right engine helium tank is just a little bit low. (NASA: SSME supply helium pressure.)

T-32..............CDR It was yesterday, too.

T-31..............PLT OK.

T-30..............CDR Thirty seconds down there. (NASA: 30 seconds till launch.)

T-25............PLT Remember the red button when you make a roll call. (NASA: Precautionary reminder for communications configuration.)

T-23............CDR I won't do that; thanks a lot.

T-15..............CDR Fifteen.
(NASA: 15 seconds till launch.)

T-6...............CDR There they go guys. (NASA: SSME Ignition.)

                  MS 2       All right.
                  CDR        Three at a hundred.

(NASA: SSME thrust level at 100% for all 3 engines.)

T+O...............MS 2 Aaall riiight.

T+1...............PLT Here we go. (NASA: Vehicle motion.)

T+7...............CDR........Houston, Challenger roll program. (NASA: Initiation of vehicle roll program.)

T+11..............PLT Go you Mother.

T+14..............MS LVLH.
(NASA: Reminder for cockpit switch configuration change.

Local vertical/local horizontal).

T+15..............MS 2 (Expletive) hot.

T+16..............CDR Ooohh-kaaay.

T+19..............PLT Looks like we've got a lotta wind here today.

T+20..............CDR Yeah.

T+22..............CDR It's a little hard to see out my window here.

T+28..............PLT        There's ten thousand feet and Mach
                             point five.

(NASA: Altitude and velocity report.)

T+30............ Garble.

T+35..............CDR Point nine. (NASA: Velocity report, 0.9 Mach).

T+40..............PLT There's Mach one. (NASA: Velocity report, 1.0 Mach).

T+41..............CDR Going through nineteen thousand. (NASA: Altitude report, 19,000 ft.)

T+43..............CDR OK we're throttling down. (NASA: Normal SSME thrust reduction during maximum dynamic pressure region.

T+57..............CDR Throttling up. (NASA: Throttle up to 104% after maximum dynamic pressure.

T+58..............PLT Throttle up.

T+59..............CDR Roger.

T+60..............PLT Feel that mother go.

T+60............ Woooohoooo.

T+1:02............PLT Thirty-five thousand going through one point five (NASA: Altitude and velocity report, 35,000 ft., 1.5 Mach).

T+1:05............CDR Reading four eighty six on mine. (NASA: Routine airspeed indicator check.)

T+1:07............PLT Yep, that's what I've got, too.

T+1:10............CDR Roger, go at throttle up. (NASA: SSME at 104 percent.

T+1:13............PLT Uhoh.

T+1:13.......................LOSS OF ALL DATA.