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Space Shuttle: Human Time Bomb

Channel 4

On air 15th March 2003

The 60-minute documentary 'Space Shuttle: Human Time Bomb?' was a fast-track commission to air in March 03 to assess the fundamental design of the shuttle. Originally built as a military space plane with shorter wings, Columbia was redesigned 20 years ago for civil space missions. Pioneer TV questions whether this – and not debris hitting the left wing – was the real cause of the disaster. Astronomer and Journalist Heather Couper proposes that the tragedy was instigated two decades ago when the design was compromised.

Reelthing was commissioned to do the in-program graphics.