Shuttle Contact LOST-No Tracking Data During RE-Entry!

Nasa TV | 02/01/03 | GRRRR

[GRRRRR]

Shuttle has NOT been heard from or seen on tracking radar since 0800Hrs CDT. No contact at Merrit Island tracking station, no voice comm...DEVELOPING.

[ShandaLear]

Sorry to ask this, but what does DU stand for?

[The South Park Republican]

At least three of the Challenger crew members were conscious after the initial explosion of the fuel tank. The crew cabin was intact after the explosion, and was intact all the way down to the water.

For reference purposes, the Columbia appears to have disintigrated at an altitude of 200,000 feet or so. The Challenger broke up at 48,000 feet, and the crew cabin reached a maximum altitude of 65,000 feet or so before it came back down.

The stories about the surviving voice recorder on the Challenger may have been true, but the "transcripts" you may have read on the internet have been debunked as an urban legend.

Just to set the record straight....

What you have stated in your first paragraph is close to what I remember reading in the Indianapolis Star so many years ago. And what puzzled me and was the reason for me bringing it up on this thread.

And I've not read anything about it on the internet. I just remembered it all today.

[Jorge]

All I can say is thank God we have a man like President Bush to guide us through our collective national grief as a result of this disaster. My heart is breaking.

Yes, I believe having a strong and morally stable leader makes a big difference when it comes to a national tragedy like this.

[No Truce With Kings]

"A command post has been set up in Palestine, Texas. . ."

Palestine, TX -- which was my former residence -- is home to a NASA facility, the balloon base, where they launch weather observation balloons. The balloon base would be a natural spot for NASA to coordinate activities in that region.

[stainlessbanner]

"..We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for the journey and waved goodbye and slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God."

-President Reagan

[Robert A Cook PE]

Breaking up much, much earlier than Dallas?

Possibility.

Look at the radar loop and you'll see red blips (not clouds or atmospheric reflections) between New mexico, Amarillo, Lubbock, and Dallas ... Several hundred miles before the main plume begins.

CNN, as usual, has nothing but the same endless loop of the one TV shot.

[MrNatural]

Here is my question: how long did they originally think shuttles would serve for - what was their "retirement" date?..

Ivan, the shuttle's airframe was originally certified for 100 flights; however, the
shuttles were intended to fly much more often. The Columbia was therefore like
an automobile that had only been driven 20K miles but was 30 years old.

There's a reason why car makers say five years or 50,000 miles,

[MaryFromMichigan]

Democratic Underground

[The South Park Republican]

I respect your opinion. But with the same respect, simply don't agree.

[JennysCool]

Putting mine out today as well, and expressing my fervent hope that this tragedy doesn't allow the hand-wringers to derail our space program again. For all our complacency about it, it's a dangerous business. Always was, always will be. But it is perhaps the business that speaks most directly to the American heart and sense of adventure. I'm quite certain President Bush knows this very well.

We had blue skies yesterday, as well, and we too are overcast today. Very appropriate, as you said.

[Smile-n-Win]

Sorry to ask this, but what does DU stand for?

Ignorance is bliss, but since you asked ... Democratic Underground.

You might want to check them out someday, but I wouldn't suggest today. And make sure not to give them too many hits.

[Petronski]

The Columbia was therefore like an automobile that had only been driven 20K miles but was 30 years old.

There was also a refurbishment/refit in 1991, as I have read on this thread. I would love to have such a car.

[OReilly]

A few minutes after 9:00 am EST this morning, I heard the (now familiar sound of a F16 or (2)Two on Afterburner). I thought that was somewhat unusual, because the weather has been so lousy (in the Washington DC area) for two days that the Presidential Helicopters have not been flying. Bush was up at Camp David and is traveling back to Washington via motorcade.

The sound of the F16s disappeared to the northwest of Washington (toward Camp David) I turned the TV on Mute and made sure it was not some low frequency rumble coming from the Audio equipment.

[Joe Hadenuf]

marker........

[Axenolith]

the level of technology that it would take to engineer an attack on the space shuttle I do believe would be out of their reach, even as tenacious as they are.

You mean technology like potentially having a ground crew convert to a certain peaceful religeon merely damage an area of the surface enough for it to fail under critical reentry strains?

[E Rocc]

IMHO, it is unseemly to use this thread (and the tradgedy we are witnessing) as a vehicle to expose the misguided opionions of others.

The thing is, it's times like this that bring out the worst in the worst people (and also, occasionally allow us to see our adversaries at their best). We're seeing it with the DUmmies harping about Bush and a few people here wetting themselves with barely disguised joy at the idea that it might have been terrorism or that some Arabs might celebrate.

On September 11th we saw it too, with the despicable comments of lefties like Michael Moore and the way that some bigots chose to use our national tragedy as an excuse to act upon their prejudices.

-Eric

[Joe Hadenuf]

If debris had hit one of the wings on take off, the crew had to be concerned about that during the mission and it had to be an issue during the entire flight. Does anyone else know if the crew and ground control had been discussing this issue during the mission

Thanks to anyone that can answer this.......

[Terriergal]

Who on earth would want to be registered there? :-)

[Jorge]

I'm sure more info will be coming in as to the actual chain of events leading up to the disaster......but clearly small problems can have huge consequences at the tremendous speeds they were traveling.

[Terriergal]

They can come over *here* and read their compliments. We know DU ppl lurk here anyway.