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.

[bonesmccoy]

God, for Pete's sake, give the guy a break! He's just getting word from his staff in the last hour. NASA doesn't even know where the pieces are or what happened. The most important factor is that they need to secure the grounded debris and make sure people are ok

[sobieski]

Of course they are celebrating; they are the enemy. But why do we need to add to their joy by taking a provocative foreigner up with us? We don't need any Israelis (or Saudis, or tourists, or teachers), let alone a personal enemy of Saddam.

[MaryFromMichigan]

Kindly spare us the DU play by play. Anyone truly intersted should just join the fools.


Amen.

[Connservative]

*celebrating on Al-Jezeera*

due to the first Israelli astronaut, no doubt.

Monsters >:(

[Republic of Texas]

Don't know yet. I live near jupiter and Parker, heard many fire trucks between 8 and 9 am

[kcvl]

Thanks. It seems most of this is around the Dallas/Ft. Worth area...

[Inspectorette]

President Bush must be wondering what he got himself into. He has seen more tragedy in 2 years than most Presidents see in 2 full terms.

I've thought the same thing. It's as if God is testing him more severely than any president ever before.

[prisoner6]

The temperatures during an uncontrolled re-entry would burn off all but the most durable components.

Human flesh would basically vaporize within a few seconds.

prisoner6

[bonesmccoy]

No. Even if they did, there is nothing NASA could do about it. The only option was to bring the vehicle down regardless of the damage. There is no rescue possible.

[GOPJ]

How do you read this?

Multiple 'spirals' not in a straight line seen. Sounded like a tornado, loud intense roar at same pitch..LOW Trail wide...per witness in Palestine TX Search and rescue responding..

[GOPJ]

How do you read this?

Multiple 'spirals' not in a straight line seen. Sounded like a tornado, loud intense roar at same pitch..LOW Trail wide...per witness in Palestine TX Search and rescue responding..

[wizzler]

Kindly spare us the DU play by play.

Pardon my ignorance... But what is "DU"?

[Gracey]

Sorry. I've worked on the Space Shuttle for 20+ years. There's no way humans can be "saved" at 200,000 miles high. There's no oxygen there and no escape hatches at the enormous speed.

What probably happened was that some of the carbon carbon leading edge tiles were missing and the Shuttle Orbiter burned up on reentry.

[concerned about politics]

anyway, they're having a happy time over in the land of the religion of peace.

Whoever that one pilot of the small plane was, he had a warning about the shuttle after take off. He was willing to risk his life to give a warning about it. He had a warning something about the shuttle and an Israel pilot he wanted people to hear. That's all I remember about it.
IF this was terrorist linked, I really, really hope the US doesn't cover it up. The world needs to know.
If it were an accident, so be it. It's terribly sad either way.

[MadIvan]

From Sky News (UK):

FEARS OVER SHUTTLE

The Space Shuttle Columbia, has broken up on re-entry to the Earth's atmosphere. A Nasa spokesman said: "Today a lot of astronauts died." The Columbia had a crew of seven.

There has been no official confirmation of the disaster. Nasa lost touch with the Shuttle above Texas.

A Nasa spokesman said: "It appears there has been a catastrophic technical failure."

The spacecraft was due for a scheduled landing at 14:16 GMT at the Kennedy Space Centre, Florida. Multiple tails or vapour trails were seen coming from the craft as it broke up over the US.

It is feared that the Shuttle broke up on entry to the Earth's atmosphere when it would be travelling at 12,500mph.

Reports are coming in about debris including some found on Interstate 45 between Dallas and Houston.

The Shuttle had its first Israeli pilot on this mission, Ilan Ramon, 48. There is no indication that terrorism was involved in this tragedy.

There were two female and five male astronauts on board. The Columbia was the oldest of the Shuttle fleet, built in 1979.

This is the most serious incident involving a shuttle since the 1986 crash of the space shuttle Challenger, which carried seven astronauts.

Regards, Ivan

[The South Park Republican]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/duforum/DCForumID60/32783.html#25

[txdoda]

CNN is reporting it exploded over Palestine, Texas
Ok, sounds like some PLO sympathetic writer just wrote that.>>>>>>>>

I'm near Palestine, TX........and we did hear it.....

[bonesmccoy]

WHERE?

[Teacher317]

Bump

[ladysusan]

Debris field south of DFW between Athens to Rusk seen on weather radar South of Henderson and Tyler. A large, thin , pie shaped swatch,