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.

[DoughtyOne]

I doubt very seriously that this was sabotage. Can I rule that out 1000%, no just 999.999999999%

[exhaustedmomma]

Some Texas farmer just said on CNN that there was another airplane in the area that he saw in the sky at the time of the accident..did anyone else see this too?

Somewhere on this fast-paced thread I posted that my brother-in-law in LIVINGSTON saw a plane, too. But it is close to the Houston International airport flight pattern.

Just reported finding debris as far as Shreveport, La.

[freedumb2003]

Near Dallas. Its Texas' silicon valley.

[kcvl]

Thank you for the information...

[isthisnickcool]

My hubby knew all of those astronauts.

One of my employees husband trained them. He knew all of these people killed today. Every so often (before 9/11) I used to go over to NASA and he took me through all the simulators. We had the run of the place. One time Glenn was there.

My prayers are with the people lost today and their families. And all the "taggers*" that work to make a very complicated system work as well as it has for many years.

Like the WTC, we will build newer spacecraft. It's our way. We are Americans. Nothing will stop us.

*We call the local engineers, etc. that we see all over "taggers" because of all the security badges usually hanging off them.

[Afronaut]

Whats with the media and this Palistine TX report?,<p> That is a MAJOR Crime. Go Find it on Mapquest. How on earth does this kind of Crap get out? It is a spec on the map. And the Shuttle was thousands of feet up... Put two and two together and you will see that the US has lost interest in LACI and the News jerks need a new story

DO not spread this garbage around please!!

Be Smart and respectful.

[bonesmccoy]

I saw that puff also.

I doubt that OMS or RCS thrusters would be involved. Isn't 200,000 feet about where they start the energy management S-turns?

[DoughtyOne]

'

On behalf of posters on Free Republic, I post this with deepest sympathy for the crew and their families.

Mission - sts107

[don-o]

President expected to speak at 11:30

[Gracey]

celebrating bigtime on al jezeera. made me want to vomit

Sick folk. Sick Sick!!!

Great article...I will read in entirety later. It's touching since I've worked at NASA my entire career.

[George W. Bush]

I wonder if any domestic Muslims are starting to celebrate, like they did after 9/11.

NASA just lowered its flag at half-mast now.

[areafiftyone]

NASA JUST LOWERED THEIR FLAG TO HALF MAST. A SYMBOL THAT ALL IS LOST!!! MAY THEY REST IN PEACE!!!

[OReilly]

I think they said that the last voice contact was in regard to a normal tire-pressure check and then they had a garbled message and static. Still too early to tell but that seems to be whats known now.

Thanks, I picked-up... One of the last transmissions was at 8:15 EST and Houston had said the de-orbit burn was perfect and they were expected to enter the atmosphere over the West Coast. With the turbulence, I can imagine that further voice comm might be interrupted till speed has dropped quite a bit. Then at 9:00 EST all radar contact and telemetry was lost over Dallas.

[STEAMER]

Thank you so much. I am going to read that to my teenage boys Sunday school class tomorrow. Most of them were not born when the Challenger accident occured, and I am sure they have little concept of the dangers inherent in space and flight operations; most of their lives are consumed with video games, where you get as many re-dos as you have time for. May this tragedy serve as a lesson for them, and a rallying point for our nation.

[Audit_Jesse]

NASA lowering flags to half-staff.

[cajungirl]

The Prez is on his way back to WH from Cam DAvid,,that is why the delay.

[sharktrager]

There may have been a plane, but not at 200,000 feet.

[mewzilla]

I just hope they're checking the sabotage angle. If illegal aliens can get access to the WH grounds and to a naval vessel, I doubt NASA would be a problem.

[ladysusan]

Yes I know ;-D
Where IN Plano is the fire?

[exhaustedmomma]

LOL!! You and my husband should open up a nerve-calming counselling service!! Okay, tossing tinfoil beanie for now!! Thanks DoughtyOne!! (again!!)