[dogbyte12]

Weird question. How toxic is this material? I just wonder if it is part cover story? In a tragedy like this, it may be forgotten that there were very valuable materials on the shuttle. The shuttle often is carrying military experiments and equipment on board, and I am wondering if that is one of the reasons they are so vehement on people not approaching the debris.

Ok course the crash investigators want a pristine site, and some materials can be toxic, but has anybody heard anything about if there actually was highly classified data or equipment aboard this flight?

[demlosers]

Weird question. How toxic is this material? I just wonder if it is part cover story? In a tragedy like this, it may be forgotten that there were very valuable materials on the shuttle

The Space Shuttle carries a very toxic fuel called hydrozen. I remember when two German farmers in the 80's who came across a crash of an American F-16 that augured into a field. Both were rendered unconscious by the toxic hyrozen fumes coming from the crash.

[FReepaholic]

>>... How toxic is this material?...<<

Very. Hydrazene is deadly.

[Tennessee_Bob]

They carry large tanks of hydrazine for their power systems. It's nasty stuff - when I worked on F-16s, we were taught that if you smelled it, you were overdosed.