Nasa E-mails prove that Nasa knew - and I told you so - anyone care to apologize?

2/27/03 | Bronco_Buster_FweetHyagh

[Bronco_Buster_FweetHyagh]

My first post on this forum was in relation to the initial Nasa Press Conference after the horrible disaster. I said that the Director's response to questions asked made me think he was hiding something. I said he was side-stepping the issues asked about. I cited my experience as an attorney and the thousands and thousands of questions/answers I had experience in tense legal situations.

I was flamed over and over again. My registration date was cited to attack my opinion. My profession as a lawyer was cited to attack me personally and my opinion.

The moderator even removed my post. "Comment #129 Removed by Moderator" http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/833981/posts?q=1&&page=101

I wrote "It wouldn't be the first time someone in a government-funded program or agency skirted the truth in order to justify their mistakes, or to avoid negative fallout.

I don't know what he knows or doesn't know. All I know is what I heard in the press conference. And, as someone who has professional experience in Question and Answer sessions dealing with serious or touchy subjects, I'm just trying to offer my reaction to his response.

Noone asked him if tiles could be repaired. All that was asked was if Nasa had considered a spacewalk to investigate the impact that occurred during launch.

His answer was totally defensive. Between several of his responses, the "theme" was "Nothing could have been done to repair tile damage" - I don't believe that for a minute. Regardless, who cares if it couldn't have been repaired? That is NO justification for failing to fully investigate before re-entry.

158 posted on 02/01/2003 2:08 PM PST by Bronco_Buster_FweetHyagh"

People like "steveegg" called me a "trial lawyer troll since 2/1/03" etc. Typical Freeper response to a new person who dares to suggest that someone did something wrong. (Unless that someone was a liberal or foreigner or a non-conservative etc)

Well, the emails show that Nasa knew DAYS before the re-entry that there was a problem, that there was potential for a catastrophic left wheel/wing failure. And they didn't do jack squat about it. They let those 7 heroes come back and "crossed their fingers" hoping that the Red-Flag was wrong.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/nasaemail1.html

You know what? This isn't the first time that I have been personally attacked and flamed for showing up with an unpopular opinion or forecast.

Remember the Bush-Gore election? I was the first person on this forum, or ANY forum for that matter, who posted a warning that Gore was going to attempt to selectively challenge vote tallies in heavily democratic areas, and that Gore might WIN the election by doing that.

AND I WAS RIGHT.

And I got flamed and insulted and called every bad name in the book - until, of course, I was proved right over the next 24-48 hours after that post.

Want the proof? http://www.commondreams.org/headlines/111000-04.htm

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For any of you who would like to apologize for how you flamed me, insulted me, and called me names, attacking me personally for the posts I made calling into question the Nasa director's evasive responses, and my conclusion that they did something wrong and that they KNEW, please feel free.

For those of you who don't feel like it, at least maybe you will commit to thinking before you type next time. Because, I for one, am ashamed of many of the self-described "conservatives" on this website who are so close-minded, so quick to defend ANYTHING that they deem patriotic or conservative, that you end up embarassing yourself, and the true conservative ideology.

May God Bless the 7 heroes who died, and their families, and may we rise to the occasion, and fix what we did wrong, fix the ineptitude and idiocy that led to their senseless and avoidable deaths.

[wimpycat]

ROFLMAO!

[Chi-townChief]

I see you noticed that one also.

[smokeyjon]

I wasn't here when you got flamed, however, I want to clear some things up that you said. This is NOT a defense OR indictment of NASA. It's simply some items you should consider:

1. Thermal tiles physically CANNOT be repaired in orbit. Not only is it impossible to do, the shuttle does not even carry spares.

2. The astronauts could NOT have made an EVA to check for tile or structural damage, even if they wanted to. Besides the fact that, due to the nature of Columbia's mission, the necessary EVA equipment was not on board, there are no handholds or other EVA "aids" on the wings or underside of the shuttle. Gene Cernan (Apollo 17) was almost killed during his Gemini EVA because no one had thought to add handholds to the craft.

3. Assuming that NASA knew of critical, irrepairable damage, nothing could have been done. Again due to Columbia's mission profile, a rendezvous with the ISS was impossible. It would have taken too long to prep another shuttle, and Russia can barely produce two 3-man Soyuz ships per year. Unfortunately, the choices would have been to strand them in orbit, or risk re-entry anyway.

Unfortunately, IF NASA knew about it ahead of time, there was nothing that could have been done. Whether or not they theorized, proposed, or were absolutely certain of significant risk beforehand is immaterial to the actual disaster. If nothing else, this brought to light not only the inherent flaws in STS, but the known and accepted risks of spaceflight. Don't think that those 7 astronauts were not aware that critical damage to the ship meant almost certain death.

[Arkinsaw]

My first post on this forum......I was the first person on this forum, or ANY forum for that matter, who posted a warning

I think Lawyer Bronco just got Busted.

[fooman]

We all got flamed on this issue.

Take heart. We all want NASA to be safe and effecrive.

Hopefully, o'Keefe will get nuked next. Bill Nelson was on o'reilly about these emails today..

[mdittmar]

I almost put Hmmm,great minds.

[yooper]

"I wrote "It wouldn't be the first time someone in a government-funded program or agency skirted the truth in order to justify their mistakes, or to avoid negative fallout."

An excellent example of moderator complex. No reason why this post shouldn't have stayed.

[bvw]

Since I've taken a stance in your behalf, would you be so kind as to explain the logic discordancy you've expressed in when your first post was?

[Democrap]

Hmmm.

My thoughts exactly but he's an attorney and is use to speaking from both sides of his face.

[TomServo]

Noone asked him if tiles could be repaired.

Was it this Noone?

[Thinkin' Gal]

Wonder if he's ever signed on as...

[katnip]

[Arkinsaw]

1. Thermal tiles physically CANNOT be repaired in orbit. Not only is it impossible to do, the shuttle does not even carry spares.

Stop with the facts man. Nobody wants to hear your facts. This is an emotional issue and your are intruding with your facts. Get real!

[clintonh8r]

Hi, Noone!

[meenie]

I am shocked that the freep audience would be so unkind. I disregard most flamers. I am trying to decide whether my thick hide or superior intellect carries me further. I also have picked up on various bureaucrats lying as well as politicians. Somehow it comes with the territory in spite of opinions to the contrary.

[bvw]

That's a suicidal do-nothing loser attitude. There were MANY things that could have been done, had people be set to do them.

[mhking]

Where's the "nanny, nanny, boo, boo?"

[Poohbah]

I feel sad for you, and your small little world where your kicks come from attacking people and insulting them because you don't like their profession.

All lawyers are guilty until proven innocent. It is lawyers that have done more to pervert the rule of law in this country than anyone else. If you don't like that assessment, tough. Police your ranks better, and this attitude will go away--EVENTUALLY. But your profession has slacked off far too long to be trusted in this generation.

I happen to be one of the last remaining bulwarks between the government and the citizens, fighting hard day by day to protect our freedoms. I'm proud to be a lawyer - a son of the Constitution.

You mean like those guys who argue that the 2nd Amendment is a collective right, but that the 1st Amendment means that one has a Constitutional right to kiddie porn?

Sorry, your profession does not rate your stuck-up self-important opinion of its value.

You show up sounding like an ambulance chaser looking for an excuse to sue, you're going to get treated like one.

BTW, those memoranda you're referring to do NOT say what you claim they do--they are not nearly as definite as you describe them. But since lawyers have long since taken to lying about what documents actually say, I'm not overly surprised.

[fooman]

non illegitimi carborundum....

[Bronco_Buster_FweetHyagh]

Look up my thread history here. I have already posted that my old posting name was "Bot-a-Bing".

My first post as "Bot-a-Bing" was my post on the Bush-Gore situation - it was such breaking news that it got copied and pasted by various other news sites, and i provided that link. It also was so scary and upsetting (understandably) to my fellow conservatives here, that many of them totally flamed me and insulted me for ever suggesting it.

I ended up getting banned from this forum a couple threads later as Bot-a-Bing, for posting my opinion that because of my belief in the constitution, my country, and my legal opinion that the Florida Supreme Court had violated our Constitution, I would not ever accept Gore as president. I got banned for that.

My first post here as Bronco_Buster_FweetHyagh was the Nasa Press Conference thread.

Odd that BOTH of my posting name first posts were treated almost the exact same way by so many members of this community.


p.s. My Bot-a-Bing account was later unbanned, based on my emails to Robinson. But I lost my password and no longer have the original email so i just made another account.

So this was my first post, as Bronco_Buster_FweetHyagh. I already stated that I was previously Bot-a-Bing in another thread here, so i'm not hiding anything at all. Look it up.