[steveegg]

According to FAS, some sample maximum altitudes for missiles:

Patriot PAC-2 (the follow-on to the Scud-"buster" in Desert Storm) - 24,000 meters (79,000 feet)

SA-2 (of U-2 and Vietnam "fame") - 27,000 to 40,000 meters (89,000-132,000 feet)

SA-10 (S-300P, rough equivalent to the Patriot) - 30,000 meters (99,000 feet).

All of these are significantly short of the 200,000 feet the Columbia was at when it broke apart.

[Dog]

MSNBC is playing the last communications from the shuttle...

They were in a 57% bank to the left..

Tire pressure sensor went off.......then you hear the sounds of the break up...