[lavaroise]

hmmm... the Palestinians must be leaking their chops. There is an Israeli-US team on board...

[July 4th]

Not good...major prayers right now.

[Starrgaizr]

Ronald Reagan

Speech on the Challenger Disaster, January 28, 1986

Nineteen years ago, almost to the day, we lost three astronauts in a terrible accident on the ground. But, we've never lost an astronaut in flight; we've never had a tragedy like this. And perhaps we've forgotten the courage it took for the crew of the shuttle; but they, the Challenger Seven, were aware of the dangers, but overcame them and did their jobs brilliantly. We mourn seven heroes: Michael Smith, Dick Scobee, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe. We mourn their loss as a nation together.

For the families of the seven, we cannot bear, as you do, the full impact of this tragedy. But we feel the loss, and we're thinking about you so very much. Your loved ones were daring and brave, and they had that special grace, that special spirit that says, 'Give me a challenge and I'll meet it with joy.' They had a hunger to explore the universe and discover its truths. They wished to serve, and they did. They served all of us.

We've grown used to wonders in this century. It's hard to dazzle us. But for twenty-five years the United States space program has been doing just that. We've grown used to the idea of space, and perhaps we forget that we've only just begun. We're still pioneers. They, the members of the Challenger crew, were pioneers.

And I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle's takeoff. I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It's all part of taking a chance and expanding man's horizons. The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we'll continue to follow them...

There's a coincidence today. On this day 390 years ago, the great explorer Sir Francis Drake died aboard ship off the coast of Panama. In his lifetime the great frontiers were the oceans, and a historian later said, 'He lived by the sea, died on it, and was buried in it.' Well, today we can say of the Challenger crew: Their dedication was, like Drake's, complete.

The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honoured us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for the journey and waved goodbye and 'slipped the surly bonds of earth' to 'touch the face of God.'

[DainBramage]

On TV they are showing debri coming off during reentry, perhaps a breakup.

[The South Park Republican]

Just said they lost it over Texas...Looks like some of the Freeper reports from Texas are connected.

[Movemout]

AArrrggghhh!

They are goners. The shuttle glides in like a rock with wings.

[ewing]

Prayers heavenward.

[The South Park Republican]

THEY JUST SAID THEY BELIEVE THE SHUTTLE HAS BEEN LOST!!

[prisoner6]

Other threads pulled..checking in here.

So far no reports of impact or debries across the glide path.

It may have broken up on re-entry OR bounced back up OR stayed high and overshot into the ocean. Reaching for hope here.

PRAYERS!

prisoner6

[ErnBatavia]

10 minutes late....contact lost at around 200,000 feet? My sad thoughts are in the direction of some sort of burnup...this is not good.

[SpookBrat]

Bad news Michael. Wake up.

[The South Park Republican]

NASA HAS FOUND MULTIPLE TARGETS!

[DoughtyOne]

I am so sorry to hear this. As one person has said, it's on the ground one way or another by now. It's a glider and can't stay up.

My thoughts are with the men/women and their families.

[RichardW]

I live 120 miles from Dallas and heard the noise clearly. Couldn't figure out what it was. Now we know. Very, very bad news.

[Iwentsouth]

This is not good. My prayers for there familys.

[PlanoMike]

After seeing the tracking map on Fox News, I went outside to see if I could see the Shuttle a minute or two before 9AM. I saw a multiple contrail-like steaks to the South of Dallas on the same path I saw the Shuttle some time ago in a night landing. Bad news I fear!

[Rain-maker]

First Israeli in space and the shuttle is vaporized at 200,000 feet?

 

This really sucks!

[MeekOneGOP]

Lost in Space Alert !

Please let me know if you want ON or OFF my General Interest ping list!. . .don't be shy.

[leadpenny]

Over California and Nevada they were doing massive turns to kill speed. That's when they lost commo. These turns had something to do with it, IMO.

[Marine Inspector]

It has apparently broken up in reentry.

Film out of Texas shows multi tails.