[Smile-n-Win]

Manned space flight is an anachronism. It impedes space exploration and exploitation.

I understand your point, though I think "space exploitation" might actually involve transporting people across space. Manned space flight could serve as a preparation for that.

[Man of the Right]

Why transport people?

[Robe]

Reported on DRUDGE REPORT.....

Final radio transmission between Columbia and Mission Control:

Mission Control: 'Columbia, Houston we see your tire pressure messages and we did not copy your last.'

Columbia: 'Roger, uh, ...' (transmission breaks off after the crew member starts to stay a word begining with the sound 'buh.')

My comments......
The tires are uninflated while in orbit and are inflated during the re-entry phase... It looks like they just did that... Could the LAST word fragment be ..."Blow out "?

If a tire blew it could have damaged / blew off the landing gear door. This would have caused an aerodynamic effect of yawing the shuttle to either side, which would be all that is necessary to cause an areodynamic break up,.. Or the loss of a door would allow 5-10,000 Degree heat to enter the wheel well and cause what NASA has described a 'BLOWTORCH EFFECT" causing structural failure of the wing.

GOD rest their Souls.....