[Sabertooth]

This was the shuttle carrying the first Israeli astronaut... one of the men who flew in the bombing raid over Iraq in the 1980's...

Which is a remarkable curiousity in this tragedy, given the imminent war with Iraq.

Still, I can't imagine how any foreign power could have brought the Columbia down, flying at Mach 7 at 207,000 feet. I'm left, in the sadness of the moment, scratching my head at whether there is a deeper meaning, beyond human intervention, behind it all.

My prayers and sympathies to the families and loved ones of all the astronauts.

[Dave S]

This was the shuttle carrying the first Israeli astronaut... one of the men who flew in the bombing raid over Iraq in the 1980's...

Which is a remarkable curiousity in this tragedy, given the imminent war with Iraq.

Talk about curious, consider this. This tragedy occured just four days after the anniversary of the Challenger explosion on January 28, 1986. The Challenger in turn blew up, nineteen years and one day following the fire on Apollo One which killed astronauts Grissom, Chaffee, and White on January 27, 1967. Who said that coincidences never occur.

[The Right Stuff]

I am with you, ST - it's too darn coincidental for me. I live near the Cape and watched the launch. Security was incredibly tight due to the Israeli astronaut being on board. Now it's coming out that he had something to do with the taking out of the Iraqi nuclear reactor?

I realize the odds are high, but what about the possibility that a bomb device could have been onboard set to go off at a certain altitude (and fixed so that it wouldn't detonate on launch?)

I probably read too many mystery/spy novels. God bless the astronauts and comfort and sympathy to their families.

[Brett66]

No terrorist could hit it with any kind of missile, but it would be possible to put an explosive device on board. That's not too likely though because security is very tight at the launch site and if it was an explosive device it probably would have detonated shortly after liftoff.

[SunStar]

Still, I can't imagine how any foreign power could have brought the Columbia down, flying at Mach 7 at 207,000 feet.

If there was a way, it was through sabotage, IMHO.

[El Gato]

Still, I can't imagine how any foreign power could have brought the Columbia down, flying at Mach 7 at 207,000 feet.

I can. If whatever might have brought it down was sent up with it. Like the Pan Am over Lockerbie Scotland, for example, altough it wouldn't have to be anywhere near as large if it was sophisticated enough, and that would not be all that sophisticated.