[steveegg]

I too, live near the Space Coast and we saw Columbia launch. Excuse my ignorance, but could the shuttle have been brought down by a device triggered by radio? (defective tiles, planted onboard ahead of time)

Again, not likely. A radio would have to have a range of at least 38 miles to make it up there (probably closer to 45 to 50 miles considering that one cannot be assured of being almost directly underneath the flight path), and with the small size of an antenna that would not have attracted the attention of a security sweep, it would have taken a powerful transmitter (at least in the 10-kilowatt range).

[lainie]

I don't know if this has been mentioned, but KFI Los Angeles was interviewing a former shuttle pilot. He said Houston was telling Columbia about the tire pressure reading. The pilot on board would not know of the change otherwise.

Unfortunately, it looks like while Houston was making that transmission, they missed something the shuttle commander was saying to them.