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There was an escape pole installed on the Columbia. In an emergency it could be extended and the crew could slide down it and away from the shuttle and then open their parachutes. The only problem with this is they have to be going VERY slow and be at an altitude of less than 5 miles. Not to mention it has never been tested by a human being before.
Of course all this is pointless since they most likely had no reason to suspect they needed to use it till it was too late. If you listen to the last transmission from the pilot he says "Roger..buh (but?)". He didn't sound like he knew something was happening in the last few transmissions. I heard them say that they kept receiving data from some of the shuttle sensors for 28 seconds after his last transmission broke up. Most likely they were already spinning out of control and could not even move. It would be nice to think it all ended quickly for them.
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Old School
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