[Swordmaker]

(since 1992) they've taken actions that have increased risk, not minimized it," Garcia said.

One more thing to lay at the feet of Clinton.

[OldFriend]

I suppose we ought to be able to have the pilot of a 737 just step out in flight on the wing to check out problems in flight????????????????

There cannot be contingency plans for every conceivable scenario.

[petuniasevan]

Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster Archive ^

[VeritatisSplendor]

This shuttle, unlike the others, was not equipped to dock at the space station. They should have done an EVA to inspect the wing, but if they found it was damaged they would have had to improvise -- pull up to the space station without docking, evacuate 1 at a time with EVAs (someone would have had to go back and forth with empty space suits if there weren't enough), then send up another shuttle to bring them home. Later on yet another shuttle could send up a repair crew.

Landing has always been the scariest thing about the shuttle to me -- the Apollo capsules didn't have to be aerodynamic, they just came in sitting on a thick heat shield which ablated away, and parachuted.

[tubebender]

Federal officials were quick to discount terrorism as a cause. When Columbia blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Fla., television cameras recorded bits of insulation from its massive, disposable external tank hitting a large section of the left wing, but NASA had discounted it as a problem during the shuttle's 16-day flight.

Has insulation ever broken off the fuel tank before ? I thought I heard during the press conference that the crew had been asked to take oictures of something outside on the craft and the photos would be reviewed later. Did anyone catch that ? Why couldn't those photos be sent back from in orbit?

[KC_for_Freedom]

For investigators, two key areas will provide clues: Flight data that been collected in Houston, and recovered pieces of Columbia.

If the flight data includes enhancement of all the video taken, I would agree. tile failure should leave a signature that can be evaluated visually.

[virgil]

Manned space flight is dangerous and it is expensive. We already know that. But if we are not willing to spend the money or take the risk, we should just drop it.

I guess we are paying the price for the Toon's budget surpluses. Its seems we are paying the price in other areas too. Like military readiness, national security, Intelligence, immigration control, national parks, etc.