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by nickff 5571 days ago
It was mentioned in the MIT OCW 16.885/ESD35J lecture series that they were likely conscious briefly while still ascending, when they turned on those PEAPs, (after the shuttle had disintegrated); but they were later unconscious, because of the high altitude and low pressures the non-airtight cockpit was subjected to.

Source: http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/aeronautics-and-astronautics/16-8...