Pilot error is often an easy explanation that isn’t really root cause though. In theory at least, something like apparently happened shouldn’t be able to happen – eg you mistakeproof – so that the handle couldn’t be unlocked while at an unsafe speed to deploy.
I’ve not seen a confirmed altitude for the S11 depressurisation incident, but there’s a good chance it occurred during/after the primary heat shield separation event post re-entry. In which case it occurred (depending on exact altitude) in our atmosphere and not in Space….
Well really it’s arguing over details that aren’t that important but IIRC didn’t the pressure readings show zero pressure for a time at least which suggests they were outside the atmosphere?
When the valve opened at a height of 168 kilometers, the gradual but steady loss of pressure was fatal to the crew within about 30 seconds. By 935 seconds after retrofire, the cabin pressure had dropped to zero and remained there until 1,640 seconds when the pressure began to increase as the ship entered the upper reaches of the atmosphere.
