Shuttle explodes Over Texas

USA TODAY ^ | 2/01/03 | AP

[kattracks]

CAPE CANAVERAL (AP)

[Bahbah]

Yes, knighthawk, we are at a great loss.

[kattracks]

Shuttle and crew lost

By Irene Brown
UPI Science News
From the Science & Technology Desk
Published 2/1/2003 11:18 AM
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Feb. 1 (UPI) -- Space shuttle Columbia and its seven-member crew, including Israel's first astronaut Ilan Ramon, were lost upon return to Earth Saturday following a 16-day space research mission.

Observers in Texas who could see the shuttle as it flew overhead enroute to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida reported debris falling from the sky.

"It looked just like the Mir breakup," said Stephen Clark, a contributor to spaceflightnow.com.

Ground control teams in Houston lost tracking and radio contact with the shuttle at 9 a.m. EST.

"Contingency procedures are in effect," said commentator James Hartsfield.

Under tight security, shuttle Columbia lifted off on Jan. 16. In addition to Ramon, the crew included commander Rick Husband, pilot Willie McCool, flight engineer Kalpana Chawla, payload commander Michael Anderson and astronauts David Brown and Laurel Clark.

Rescue teams were alerted in Texas and residents were warned not to touch any debris, which could contain toxic substances.

Police and witnesses said the debris appeared to be in a line from Dallas southeast to the Louisiana border.

Don Archer of Waco told NBC News he was videotaping the shuttle as it streaked overhead:

"It disappeared and seemed like it started breaking up."

"There was additional fire and smoke hanging in the sky."

"I didn't hear anything because I was concentrating on taking the video."

President George W. Bush was being briefed at the presidential retreat in Camp David, Md., and was preparing to convene domestic and military committees that may be involved in the shuttle emergency.

The mission was the first of six planned for this year, with the remainder of the flights devoted to space station assembly.

The loss of the shuttle and the crew comes 17 years after the Challenger accident, which claimed the lives of seven astronauts, including teacher in space Christa McAuliffe. The woman who trained alongside McAuliffe and served as her backup was to fly on Columbia's next mission this November.

There has been no determination on what caused Columbia to fall from the sky. Video taken during the shuttle's launch showed what appeared to be a piece of foam insulation falling from Columbia's fuel tank and striking the orbiter's left wing near its leading edge. Flight Director Leroy Cain said during a press conference on Friday engineers had studied the situation and had no concerns as they prepared for the landing.

"We haven't changed anything with respect to our (landing) trajectory design. It will be a nominal, standard trajectory," Cain said.

Copyright © 2001-2003 United Press International

[Bahbah]

"threads at DU blaming Bush/Rove for orchestrating this."

They are truly insane.

[LS]

It is simply impossible to launch a shuttle on a moment's notice---or even a week's notice. This was PRECISELY one of the reasons that the National Aerospace Plane received so much attention and funding, in that if the technology could have been perfected, it would have allowed a "quick reaction" rescue.

The various tiles and parts on a shuttle pose a huge problem, bcause if one comes off, the skin underneath is vulnerable. The NASP would have solved this by being constructed out of an essentially single piece design. We could not (so far) get the scramjet engine to work, but then again, the program did not receive any kind of priortiy funding. Now, it is time to revisit that program.

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

I don't think sabotage or terrorism should be ruled out this early...

I agree furthermore I fail to see HOW TPTB are already able to conclusively rule out any terrorist act whatsoever (reported on NBC).

[md2576]

I assure you that everyone at the Kennedy Space Center did all they could to complete a safe trip. A computer checks all heat tiles so sabotage is not likely. We will no doubt try and fix any future broken tiles in space before returning home if possible. It is a sad technical error, and the talk of terrorism only degrades the hard work and brave actions astronauts take every time they go into space.

[UCFRoadWarrior]

I will not rule out anything yet, either. We dont know what happened

We reportedly have some on a neo-Commie website blaming GW Bush......we also have some on TV immediately calling it a mechanial failure and any other conclusion brought forth is a "conspiracy theory". These are both extreme (I think the "conspiracy theory" critics are nuttier than the actual theorists, themselves)

Hopefully we will have a full investigation, which does not blanket rule anything out immediately

RWK

[LS]

If you think America is a "spiritual Babylon," what with 160 million professed Christians and, even if only HALF of those are devout believers, then that is still 79,999,999 more believers than God required Sodom and Gomorrah to have before He allowed it to be punished. Sorry. God does not hammer nations where the VAST MAJORITY of people call themselves by His name and try to live as He commands. They don't always succeed, but I find this offensive and preposterous. I throw this in with the "9/11 was God's punishment" crowd.

God does not kill His children. Period. James said all GOOD and PERFECT gifts come down from the Father of Lights," and this disaster is no good gift. It is the other guy, the devil, whose job Jesus said it was, to "kill, steal, and destroy." Satan killed these astronauts, stole a vehicle of the United States, and destroyed it. Not GOD.

[Alberta's Child]

I hate it when they get these headlines wrong. That shuttle did not explode (neither did the Challenger) -- it broke apart on re-entry.

[Howlin]

Thanks for the correction. I've been scanning your posts; very good information.

[chiller]

FREQUENCY ERROR: Sources named '100' as the "magic" number, meaning odds of 100 successful shuttle flights were very low. This was #89.

In other words, NASA knows a disaster is inevitable and they were getting increasingly nervous as they got closer to 100.

[Dave S]

The shuttle was still around 200 ft, when this happened, and going faster than anything else on earth.

200,000 feet or almost 40 miles up.

[md2576]

News conference due in at any time from K.S.C.

[md2576]

12 central time, sorry.

[chiller]

NASA was aware of the implications of the the first Israeli astronaut on board. Security was higher than normal.

[Alberta's Child]

In other words, NASA knows a disaster is inevitable and they were getting increasingly nervous as they got closer to 100.

That's not really accurate, because the odds of a disaster occurring don't change as time goes on.

If you toss a coin 100 times, the odds of it coming up heads every time are incredibly small. However, if you've already got 99 heads in a row and you're flipping the coin for the 100th time, the odds of getting a "head" are 1 in 2.

[Dave S]

Where is the proof of Explosion

Have you ever seen a meteor burn up in the atmosphere. At a certain point during the heating, there is an explosion and and pieces are scattered. An overheating space craft is not like a house slowly burning to the ground. The vehicle will explode when it loses its integrity.

[chiller]

"because the odds of a disaster occurring don't change as time goes on."

They don't? If scientific analysis predicts trouble in 1 of 100 cases, and the first 89 were trouble free, I'd be nervous as hell. The odds are its going to happen in one of the next 11 flights. I don't like those odds.