Well, I'm not as good a writer as some folks around here, but I'd be glad to post a glowing review at Amazon. Well deserved IMO.
... but on this day of mourning, my thoughts are with the families of those brave souls lost today.
Just so. I gotta tell ya, when I felt and heard the rumble, I suspected something more sinister. Bad enough we lose some of our best in a tragic accident, but from the sound and feel of it, I was prepared for something worse. May God indeed be with them; and may He comfort their families.
FGS
As far as sabotage is concerned, security was very tight before launch and I do not believe they could have gotten the necessary equipment/materiel/explosives on the shuttle, and I also do not believe they could have accessed the telemetry. While terrorists may have made an attempt at the physical access beforehand, in my estimation it would take the resources of a nation to attempt intercepting/hacking the telemetry.
As far as anti-sat attempts are concerned, it would take a nation to do that and the only ones that may be capable are either Russia or China. I do not believe Russia would gain from doing so, only terrible risk. I do not believe China is there yet in terms of capability, althgough they are trying. If they were, and if they did try, it would only be in concert with a larger, much more general attack on us because the signature of an anti-sat attack would be obvious and would invite immediate disproportionate retaliation.
As far as anti-sat attempts are concerned, you'd see something relatively low-tech and straight forward IMHO, like either another satellite or a missile launched into space depositing a cloud of ball bearings in the path of the oncoming target. (There is some of this in book two of my series that results in horrible catastrophy).
No, I believe this was just a critical failure of some sort that occurred (for reasons as yet unknown) at a crucial time as the shuttle was in re-entry. A catastrophic failure at that time could not be recovered from.
May the good Lord in Heaven weatch over their souls and may He comfort the families, relatives and friends.
FGS - I look forward to that review, thanks so much again!