<P> Nesbitt relayed this information to the public: "We have a report from the Flight Dynamics Officer that the vehicle has exploded . The flight director confirms that . We are looking at checking with the recovery forces to see what can be done at this point ." </P> <P> The crew cabin, made of reinforced aluminum, was a particularly robust section of the orbiter . During vehicle breakup, it detached in one piece and slowly tumbled into a ballistic arc . NASA estimated the load factor at separation to be between 12 and 20 g; within two seconds it had already dropped to below 4 g and within 10 seconds the cabin was in free fall . The forces involved at this stage were probably insufficient to cause major injury . </P> <P> At least some of the crew were probably alive and at least briefly conscious after the breakup, as three of the four recovered Personal Egress Air Packs (PEAPs) on the flight deck were found to have been activated . Investigators found their remaining unused air supply consistent with the expected consumption during the 2 minute 45 second post-breakup trajectory . </P> <P> While analyzing the wreckage, investigators discovered that several electrical system switches on Pilot Mike Smith's right - hand panel had been moved from their usual launch positions . Fellow astronaut Richard Mullane wrote, "These switches were protected with lever locks that required them to be pulled outward against a spring force before they could be moved to a new position ." Later tests established that neither force of the explosion nor the impact with the ocean could have moved them, indicating that Smith made the switch changes, presumably in a futile attempt to restore electrical power to the cockpit after the crew cabin detached from the rest of the orbiter . </P>

How long did the crew of the challenger live
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