Editorial: Columbia crash (From ArabNews)

ArabNews ^

[chance33_98]

Editorial: Columbia crash 2 February 2003

The destruction of the NASA space shuttle Columbia is a tragedy which affects us all. The reason why, other than common humanity, the burden of grief should be shared across the world is that space is a frontier across which all peoples of the globe must push, not just a handful of countries with leading technologies.

It will probably be a long time before the precise cause of the shuttle’s disintegration, 200,000 feet above Texas, as it glided at 12,000 mph toward landing, will be known. When, almost 17 years ago to the day, the shuttle Challenger exploded on take off, NASA mounted a minute investigation of the disaster, which took months to complete and discovered a design flaw. All shuttle flights were stopped for almost two-and-a-half years. Yesterday, the Americans were quick to discount terrorism as the cause of this tragedy. It certainly seems highly unlikely. What is more likely is that human error is responsible. Each NASA shuttle flight with the normal crew complement of seven or eight astronauts has behind it around 10,000 individuals who stay on the ground. Though safety and checking procedures were tightened up after the Challenger crash, it remains a harsh fact that with so many people involved in such hugely complex technology, mistakes will be made.

Space exploration is hardly headline news these days. For Israel and India, both of whom had provided a crew member each, the trip will, of course, have been front-page news. However, only a fraction of the rest of the world’s population probably knew that Columbia was due yesterday to glide down across the United States to land in Florida, at the end of a 16-day mission. Even fewer probably realize that there are now still three astronauts on the International Space Station, who will probably have to be brought down by a Soyuz mission rather than a NASA shuttle.

It is highly probable that yesterday’s crash will cause a major setback in the ISS program. Even if another design flaw is not found to be at the heart of the Columbia wreck, it is certain that the other shuttles will be grounded for at least a year. Columbia was, in fact, the oldest ship in NASA’s shuttle fleet, built in 1981, five years before the Challenger tragedy. Though extensively refitted several times, most recently with a new cockpit, some sort of structural fatigue seems a strong possibility. It may well be that scientists still have much to learn about the huge stresses placed on metal which has to endure phenomenal stresses at launch and re-entry as well as the unique pressures of life in orbital space.

The immediate lesson remains, however, that this is a tragedy for everyone, not just the United States, India and Israel. We have all lost in this disaster. A technological challenge has been thrown down and once again, a warning given that in the unforgiving region of space, nothing can be taken for granted. The solutions may be a long time coming.

They will come. The struggle to conquer the space will go on. All that we can hope for is that, when the battle is won, the knowledge gained in the process will add to human happiness, not to human misery.

[FReethesheeples]

Good for Arab News!

[Jeff Chandler]

This is quite a surprise, considering the source.

[Movemout]

I was expecting to read inflammatory rhetoric. It is a pleasant surprise to, instead, read a thoughtful commentary.

[CWOJackson]

"The immediate lesson remains, however, that this is a tragedy for everyone, not just the United States, India and Israel. We have all lost in this disaster."

Thank you Arab News.

[Brytani]

I'm shocked to read this. I figured they would be dancing in joy at another tragedy to befall the US.

Thank You Arab News for proving me wrong.

[ZULU]

A thoughtful and considerate response. Not all Arabs are cut from the same mold. Like Americans, each nation is made of individuals.

This spacecraft was actually made in 1981??? I think there should be some limit to the lifetime of ANY aircraft - commercial or space-research. Maybe at twenty years, each aircraft should be destroyed, it' components processed and recycled into new, updated vehicles.

The sole consolations in this tragedy is that it happened so fast, its unlikely any of the victims knew what was occurring, and they died doing something they enjoyed. Now, there are seven more angels before God's Throne, and may their families find peace in God's loving Grace.

[Russell Scott]

My only comment on this subject is a question: is the International Space Station a modern Tower of Babel? I hope President Bush understands that God hates globalism. Any attempts to continue pushing that agenda will be met with opposition from Heaven. Especially when it involves compromising American security, or using the American people's money, to curry favor (bribe) with our phony friends in the U.N., for the sake of a deceptive new world order.

[fella]

What? No danceinng in the streets? Perhaps they have learned that doig such things tends to tick us off.

[petuniasevan]

This spacecraft was actually made in 1981???

Well, actually it was first LAUNCHED in April 1981 with only a 2-man crew (Young/Crippen) for a 2-day test mission.

[Teacher317]

It was completed in 1979, and first ventured into space in 1981.

[joyful1]

Brilliant strategy on their part. Wonder what's going on behind closed doors. Boy is America stupid.

[Teacher317]

Iraqis Call Shuttle Disaster God's Vengeance

Fewer voices show their joy at our losses nowadays. Their media were 'educated' after the videos of the street-revelers got out and caused an uproar.

[AppyPappy]

I hope President Bush understands that God hates globalism. Any attempts to continue pushing that agenda will be met with opposition from Heaven.

Where was God when NAFTA was passed? I guess He supported it.

[Teacher317]

Go to the editorials on that site... they're mostly from Americans. I think this is a nice website that helps sympathetic Americans put a more marketable face on Arabs for our consumption.

The top 9-11 editorial comment is from "Bob, Florida" who says that while we pray for those lost in 9-11, we must also pray for the many thousands more Iraqi innocents who will be killed if the US invades.

[Teacher317]

I hope President Bush understands that God hates globalism.

Chapter and verse?

[E Rocc]

A thoughtful and considerate response. Not all Arabs are cut from the same mold.

As it turns out, except for some stupid comments from Iraq the responses from the Arab world have been similar to this. Arafat issued a brief statement of condolence to both America and Israel. Iraq was to be expected, but they will say such garbage for different reasons: they are ruled by a nutcase who thinks that way and has made opinions different from his illegal.

There were some here yesterday whose apparent first reaction to this tragedy was that they figured the Arabs (particularly the Palestinians) would be happy. I place them in the same category as the lefties whose first thought was that it would benefit Bush.

-Eric

[Walkin Man]

Genesis 11


The Tower of Babel

1 Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. 2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. 3 Then they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly." They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. 4 And they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth."
5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6 And the LORD said, "Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. 7 Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech." 8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. 9 Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

[Teacher317]

6 And the LORD said, "Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. 7 Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech."

So God prefers confusion, division, inefficiency, misunderstandings, and the results thereof? Interesting. Was there any reason given as to why God felt this way, other than he didn't like tall buildings? (And if that is the case why were all of the European cathedrals built with spires reaching to the heavens?)

[ZULU]

"I place them in the same category as the lefties whose first thought was that it would benefit Bush."

Just WAIT. The leftists will no doubt try to blame this on Bush's budget, saying something really stupid - like they always do, along the lines of - he didn't allocate enough money for NASA programs. Expect this from that idiot Pellosi, or her twin Hillary.