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.

[tomkat]

fwiw, MSNBC seems to have the best (least hysterical, etc) network coverage i've heard so far ...

[McLynnan]

I just checked FR and learned of this, and it explains the loud boom I heard earlier this morning. I was outside sweeping the pool at the time and thought it was artillery from Ft. Hood as we hear it quite often in Central Texas when atmospheric conditions are right, but it was definitely louder than normal -- it was loud enough to shake the windows and wake up my daughter who was in the house. It was only one boom instead of the repeated artillery noise we usually hear. Now I know what it was. Prayers for all on board.

[kcvl]

CNN is saying that the debris is being found near Kemp, TX which is 45 miles South of Dallas.

[snopercod]

Yes, I was at KSC for both 51L and STS-26.

The warnings on the debris are just words out of their "contingency procedure". There is no way that any Nitrogen Tetroxide or Monomethyl Hydrazine could survive the re-entry heat.

It's too bad the the OPS recorders and especially the OEX recorder will not survive the re-entry either. The OEX recorder has the strain gage and temperature data on the wings, elevons, and fuselage.

[Arkinsaw]

Unless they can quickly isolate the problem to the Columbia launch, the shuttle program is grounded. Period. It will either provide the impetus for us to get our act together on a new shuttle design, or it will be the end for routine manned flight for the forseeable future.

I think this is right on the mark. This event is the fork in the trail. We will either end up with new systems or we will end up with unmanned missions on the cheap.

[STEAMER]

Do you have the entire text to the poem in your tagline?

[dighton]

It was chilling--they were alive after the explosion. The shuttle commander called for emergency checklists--the co-pilot explained that there was no orbiter to run the checklists on. Judith Resnik tried to comfort Christie McAllif--who then fainted. One of the crewmember then led them in the 23rd Psalm.

A hoax.

Here's the real Challenger transcript on NASA's site.

.................

T+1:10............CDR..... Roger, go at throttle up.

(NASA: SSME at 104 percent.)

T+1:13............PLT..... Uhoh.

T+1:13.......................LOSS OF ALL DATA.

[eddie willers]

Worked late...slept late, just clicked on.
Turning on the TV and will read the thread....

OMG!

[Textide]

Here's some background info on the insulation on the shuttle.

Learning to Take the Heat: Insulation for the Space Shuttle

[Mr. Silverback]

Please ping your lists immediately, we have a national emergency over here...It looks even worse than the headline would imply.

Stout hearts.
Silverback sends.

[Mr. Silverback]

Please ping your lists immediately, we have a national emergency over here...It looks even worse than the headline would imply.

Stout hearts.
Silverback sends.

[Peach]

Impossible to see a plane near shuttle. The shuttle was at 200,000 feet. Perhaps a piece of the shuttle was what the witness saw, or they just want their moment of "fame".

[prisoner6]

Truth is stranger than fiction. As IO poited out on another post...can you believe the number of major events happening on W's watch? Can you imagine if it was on x42's?

And the watch ain't over yet...

prisoner6

[FreeAtlanta]

"ask that you not comment on that which you do not understand" - I didn't read what you were replying to, but I will comment that this statement seems arogant and not really appropriate for this open discussion board.

[lavaroise]

My thoughts are with the families of the astronauts. Perhaps private space exploration will have a better future. American explorers were motivated by market forces rather than the bureaucratic largess of NASA.

Not the market but military men made this nation. THe NASA should be under military command as is done in Europe and the Soviet Union. Other ventures should go private of course. But this Kennedy politization of NASA is a double edged sword.

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

Does anyone know if the shuttles have the ability to abort a landing at any time during the re-entry process?

No they don't. Once they start down they are committed to landing somewhere.

[Republic of Texas]

Local news now showing the debris trail that showed up on their weather radars. Heading SE of dallas, across and just north of Lufkin, to the LA border.

[davidosborne]

.. Democratic Response (Barf Alert)

[Admin Moderator]

knock it off. that is uncalled for.

[CELTICGAEL (Celt)]

OK, he said he thought the plane was to close to the shuttle.