NASA STATEMENT ON LOSS OF COMMUNICATIONS WITH COLUMBIA

NASA ^ | 2/1/03 | NASA

[AStack75]

NASA STATEMENT ON LOSS OF COMMUNICATIONS WITH COLUMBIA

A Space Shuttle contingency has been declared in Mission Control, Houston, as a result of the loss of communication with the Space Shuttle Columbia at approximately 9 a.m. EST Saturday as it descended toward a landing at the Kennedy Space Center, Fla. It was scheduled to touchdown at 9:16 a.m. EST.

Communication and tracking of the shuttle was lost at 9 a.m. EST at an altitude of about 203,000 feet in the area above north central Texas. At the time communications were lost. The shuttle was traveling approximately 12,500 miles per hour (Mach 18). No communication and tracking information were received in Mission Control after that time.

Search and rescue teams in the Dallas-Fort Worth and in portions of East Texas have been alerted. Any debris that is located in the area that may be related to the Space Shuttle contingency should be avoided and may be hazardous as a result of toxic propellants used aboard the shuttle. The location of any possible debris should immediately be reported to local authorities.

Flight controllers in Mission Control have secured all information, notes and data pertinent to today's entry and landing by Space Shuttle Columbia and continue to methodically proceed through contingency plans.

News media covering the Space Shuttle should stay tuned to NASA Television, which is broadcast on AMC-2, transponder 9C, C-Band, located at 85 degrees West longitude. The frequency is 3880.0 MHz. Polarization is vertical and audio is monaural at 6.8 MHz. Reporters can also go to any NASA center newsroom to monitor the situation.

New information, including the times and locations of press briefings, will be posted to this page.

NASA Home Page

[Clifdo]

Yes, thanks a million for the pictures. I have sent them to some of my friends who are not as fortunate as we are to be FReepers and lurkers!

[DoughtyOne]

Thank you.

[mhking]

Live Video Streams:
BBC World: http://202.174.129.100/bbc300k
CTV NewsNet: http://ctvbroadcast.ctv.ca/ctvlivehigh.asf
WFAA/Dallas (ABC): http://playlist.yahoo.com/makeplaylist.dll?id=5882
KPRC/Houston (and all IBSYS sites): http://mfile.akamai.com/7882/live/reflector:23961.ram
KHOU/Houston (CBS): http://playlist.yahoo.com/makeplaylist.dll?id=206531
CNN: http://www.itcom.itd.umich.edu/streaming/ram/avs03.ram
FOX News Channel: http://umtv-live.rs.itd.umich.edu/itcom/avs01.ram
NBC; NASA TV; MSNBC; KXAS/Dallas: http://www.msnbc.com/m/lv/default.asp?0cv=CA01

[PhiKapMom]

Is this in the Dallas/Fort Worth area?

[PhiKapMom]

God be with the NASA people in their investigation to get to the truth!

[Terriergal]

I heard them say something about that too... but at that point, what are you gonna do?

[DoughtyOne]

This is a photo of the shuttle that was lost today. You can right click view to see it full size.

[Cincinatus]

The Shuttle comes in on its own computer program -- it does not need to communicate with the ground.

It is more likely that some of the thermal tiles on the Orbiter came loose or broke off. The heat of re-entry then might have burned through control cables and wire bundles, rendering the Shuttle uncontrollable. Without attitude and flight control, a tumble would develop, tearing the orbiter airframe apart.

This is a very tragic day for our space program. Pray for the astronauts' families.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Just came and and learned of this event. Do you mean that there is video tape of the shuttle just before the breakup?

[spetznaz]

That was what i was telling a friend of mine some moments ago. Once it has started its ascent there is really nothing that can be done. You cannot make it just turn around and immediately land ....meaning all one can do is pray and hope all turns out well.

Sad.

[Freeper Lady]

Yes. Me.

[Reagan Man]

From another day of tragedy.

*************************************************

President Reagan's Speech on The Challenger Disaster

Ronald Reagan -- Oval Office of the White House, January 28, 1986

Ladies and Gentlemen, I'd planned to speak to you tonight to report on the state of the Union, but the events of earlier today have led me to change those plans. Today is a day for mourning and remembering. Nancy and I are pained to the core by the tragedy of the shuttle Challenger. We know we share this pain with all of the people of our country. This is truly a national loss.

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...

I've always had great faith in and respect for our space program, and what happened today does nothing to diminish it. We don't hide our space program. We don't keep secrets and cover things up. We do it all up front and in public. That's the way freedom is, and we wouldn't change it for a minute. We'll continue our quest in space. There will be more shuttle flights and more shuttle crews and, yes, more volunteers, more civilians, more teachers in space. Nothing ends here; our hopes and our journeys continue. I want to add that I wish I could talk to every man and woman who works for NASA or who worked on this mission and tell them: "Your dedication and professionalism have moved and impressed us for decades. And we know of your anguish. We share it."

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.'

[EternalVigilance]

[Renfield]

Yes. It's the tape that ends with birds flying through the field of view, and a sweetgum (or sycamore)tree in the background. Fox replayed it just a couple of minutes ago.

[Joe Hadenuf]

A major telephoto view I take it? And the shuttle was completely intack, could you actually see the shape of the shuttle in the image? Sorry, I haven't seen any of this, coming in late here. The only videos we are seeing is the debris falling. Haven't seen the video your talking about, but we are looking.......

[MatthewViti]

:'(

[AStack75]

I haven't seen any videos of the shuttle intact. I doubt they exist. I'm guessing we will only see many different videos of the debris falling.

[TXnMA]

It's probably more appropriate to fly it at half-mast today.

I concur:

We have a 30-foot flagstaff, on which we fly the U.S. flag 24/7 -- with photocell-controlled spotlights on it from dusk to dawn.

My first act upon learning this tragic news was to go outside, salute the flag, lower it to half staff -- and salute it again....holding the salute for the 20 seconds it takes to say the Lord's prayer...

May the Lord keep his hand on the families of those seven heroic people!

[Joe Hadenuf]

I don't recall, can't remember,.... does anyone know if they rountinely lose communications while reentering???

[AStack75]

I heard someone saying that it does happen, but when it does, it's usually only for a second or so.