Columbia Discussion thread

Feb 1, 2003

[Admin Moderator]

'

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

Mission - sts107

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This is a continuation of the original thread.

Shuttle Contact LOST-No Tracking Data During RE-Entry!

ANY DU LINKS OR POSTS WILL BE REMOVED IMMEDIATELY. Keep them on the original thread.

[Ichneumon]

Sounds silly, but maybe they'll make new shuttles like the ones in the movie 'Armageddon'.

Those were (loosely) based on designs for the "second generation", bigger-and-better shuttles which were proposed at one point. But the "old" shuttles were doing fine and had a long projected lifetime (even Columbia, now cut short, put in over 20 years of service), so designing and building brand new shuttle models seemed an unnecessarily extravagent waste of money. That may be the case even now -- it would probably be a lot cheaper to just build new shuttles to the original plans than to redesign them from scratch.

[isthisnickcool]

Capcom? Capsule Communicator

[Darlin']

"well, at least judy on cnn has confirmed the shuttle did not hit a commercial jetliner as it crossed texas. no i am not kidding."

How does that woman stay employed ?

[Dog Gone]

I don't know. I didn't think they would find any trace of the astronauts in the Challenger accident, but I was quite wrong.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Pray for the crew, pray for their familes, and for the ones left behind who will continue to tame the winds of space and reach for the stars.

We go on.

[Howlin]

OMG....did you hear that last caller?

What is WRONG with these people that would use a tragedy like this to further their one singleminded agenda?

[CyberAnt]

In all my hurt today - I do so agree with your assessment.

I heard someone say that he hoped that the President would mourn with us and then help us to dust ourselves off and continue on with our search of outerspace.

[Mamzelle]

OK. Check your astronauts' history, and you'll find several white males who flew again. Later on, when it's in better taste, I'll be happy to tell you which ones. Some of their errors were far more costly than than having to make an extra EVA. Sometimes astronauts try to make up new reasons for an "emergency EVA" while on mission!

Lay off the gal. NASA may have been running a multicult op, but that isn't her fault!

[Dog]

Let me do a google news search and see what I can find...

[Ichneumon]

is that the 'Tire Pressure' loss was probably due to heat extreme enough to melt the tires... it would have to be pretty darned hot, however...

At that stage of re-entry, things are indeed "pretty darned hot" -- there's white-hot plasma surrounding the shuttle's nose. Under the best of times, it's basically a controlled meteorite on the edge of burning up.

[Howlin]

I haven't seen that. I'm sure they will be posting some here soon.

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

My God...

[George W. Bush]

And the people reporting it at Fox are just as bad - there is no need for this right now - it can wait... Call me crazy, call me old-fashioned, but why can't we just mourn for a time before we start assassinating the character of the lost?

It's very unlikely that any human on Columbia, particularly the robotics specialist, did anything to cause this disaster. The shuttle was flying itself on autopilot as it always does until right before touchdown. The sex and national origin or even a record of previous mission shortcomings of an individual crew member has nothing to do with this accident and the wisdom of multicultural NASA missions are a topic for another day.

[CyberCowboy777]

I pray that God will comfort the families of these brave astronauts.

[rintense]

Guy on FNC saying rumors now that the object that fell off during the launch, and hit the wing, was a problem but determined that it *probably* didn't cause any damage. Now they are rethinking this.

[hole_n_one]

[republicangel]

yes she is an American citizen. heard this on fox news this morning

[NonValueAdded]

Let's get a permanent U.S. space spation. Let's establish a permanent U.S. presence on the moon. Let's get an American on Mars. We can honor all those we have lost by continuing their mission, not by giving in to timidity.

RIGHT ON!!!

I'm sure any Astronaut was asked to go on a critical mission tommorrow, and they'd jump at the chance. Pause for a bit to determine the problem, correct what's identified, and press on!

Prayers going out to the Havilands. Absolutely.

[Jael]

Is that a radar of when the Shuttle re-entered?