Debris Photos (GRAPHIC)

Yahoo News photos ^ | 2/2/03 | freepers

[Mark Felton]

[Your attention please. This thread has generated a ton of abuse reports. Some have been from long established freepers. Others have been from relative newbies. Some have been complaining about the thread. Others have been complaining about the complainers.

Throw on top of it the fact that some of the newbies who showed up on this thread happen to be returning bannees, who before being banned were friendly with some of the very people they are bickering with here, and something is striking us as just not right.

If you are interested in the debris photos, this is the thread for it. If not, don't join in this thread. It is not disrespectful to those who died to post pictures of the debris in our opinion. What they show and where they landed may help piece together what killed these brave people.

If you feel that is the wrong decision, we apologize and mean no harm. But please, no more arguing about it on the thread, and no more abuse reports on the matter.

Thanks, AM.]

Sun Feb 2, 1:14 AM ET

Fires, believed started by debris from the downed space shuttle Columbia, burn in an area near Dallas, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2003. Seven astronauts perished when the shuttle broke to pieces as it re-entered the atmosphere at the end of a 16-day mission. (AP Photo/Joe Cavaretta)

Sat Feb 1, 9:31 PM ET

A video image of a helmet that dropped into a yard in Norwood Community, Texas from the space shuttle Columbia is seen Feb. 1, 2002. Many parts of the shuttle, along with human remains, were found in the area. NASA (news - web sites) officials later removed the helmet. (Rick Wilking/Reuters)

Sat Feb 1,10:35 PM ET

A small brush fire started by a falling piece of debris from the space shuttle Columbia outside Athens, Texas after the shuttle broke apart during re-entry over Texas on its way to a scheduled landing in Fla., Feb. 1, 2003. Authorities have not speculated on the cause of the crash. (Jeff Mitchell/Reuters)

Sat Feb 1, 9:31 PM ET

A piece of debris believed to be from the space shuttle Columbia is photographed near Lufkin, Texas, Feb. 1, 2003. NASA (news - web sites) lost contact with the shuttle at around 9 a.m., about 16 minutes before its scheduled landing at Kennedy Space Center (news - web sites). (Reuters)

Sat Feb 1, 9:15 PM ET

Goldie Hamilton looks at a piece of debris that dropped into her yard in Alto, Texas from the space shuttle Columbia February 1, 2003. Many parts of the shuttle along with human remains were found in the area. Hamilton lives in the house in the background. REUTERS/Rick Wilking

Sat Feb 1, 9:18 PM ET

A piece of debris from the space shuttle Columbia dropped into this yard in Alto, Texas, February 1, 2003. Debris from space shuttle Columbia rained down onto fields, highways and a cemetery in Texas on Saturday, sending dozens of residents to hospitals after they handled the smoldering metal wreckage. All seven astronauts on board were killed in the break-up, which scattered potentially toxic debris across a 120-mile (190-km-long) swath of eastern Texas. REUTERS/Rick Wilking

Sat Feb 1, 7:43 PM ET

Stan Melasky, left, and his brother Steve Melasky look over a piece of debris, believed to be from the space shuttle Columbia, that fell on their farm near Douglass, Texas, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2003. (AP Photo/Donna McWilliam)

Sat Feb 1, 8:52 PM ET

An Anderson County sheriff's deputy walks past a piece of debris from the space shuttle Columbia outside Palestine, Texas after the shuttle broke apart during reentry over East Texas on its way to a scheduled landing in Florida, February 1, 2003. Shaken NASA (news - web sites) officials vowed to find out what caused the space shuttle Columbia to break up, saying they would look closely at the impact of a piece of foam insulation that struck the orbiter's left wing at takeoff. REUTERS/Jeff Mitchell

Sat Feb 1, 7:25 PM ET

A piece of space shuttle debris sits on the ground outside Bronson, Texas, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2003. Space shuttle Columbia broke apart in flames 200,000 feet over Texas on Saturday, killing all seven astronauts just minutes before they were to glide to a landing in Florida. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Sat Feb 1, 7:29 PM ET

Searchers mark a small piece of debris while looking for remnants of the space shuttle outside Bronson, Texas, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2003. Space shuttle Columbia broke apart in flames 200,000 feet over Texas on Saturday, killing all seven astronauts just minutes before they were to glide to a landing in Florida. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Sun Feb 2,10:11 AM ET

Resident Bugs Arriola looks at a piece of debris from the space shuttle Columbia, Sunday, Feb. 2, 2003 in Nacogdoches, Texas. People have been told not to touch any of the debris as there could be toxic chemicals on the material. (AP Photo/Donna McWilliam)

Sat Feb 1, 7:41 PM ET

Vollunteer firefigher John Berry looks out at small piece of debris believed to be from the space shuttle Columbia in a rural area north of Palestine, Texas, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2003. The shuttle broke apart in flames over Texas on Saturday, killing all seven astronauts just minutes before they were to glide to a landing in Florida. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Sat Feb 1, 9:23 PM ET

A couple looks at a piece of debris from the space shuttle Columbia that dropped onto the highway in Alto, Texas February 1, 2003. Debris fromColumbia rained down onto fields, highways and a cemetery in Texas on Saturday, sending dozens of residents to hospitals after they handled the smoldering metal wreckage. All seven astronauts on board were killed in the break-up, which scattered potentially toxic debris across a 120-mile (190-km-long) swath of eastern Texas. REUTERS/Rick Wilking

[kms61]

You don't have to go all the way to Iraq to find such a-holes. Fred Phelps is at it again. See the link. http://www.godhatesamerica.com

I don't think there's anything wrong with showing most of the debris. I do think that the helmet shot was borderline, although one might argue that it could have been a spare helmet and not actually worn.

If any photos exist of the remains, they should NEVER be published, IMHO.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Well, we wonder now why the Sphinx was made ...

(Just an ad gimmic for Omir's Used Egyptian Camel Shoppe?)

.....

Seriously, I question just how many pounds of the (dangerous) secondary rocket propulsion were left at the end of a mission in the tanks; plus how much could have survived the tumbling and flames of re-entry such that NASA is concerned about ALL metal parts being realistically contaminated.

Seems to me that the odds of any serious contamination are too low, but that NASA is using chemical contamination by the propellant(s) to "prevent" handling from people so the engineering forensics/accident investigation is made easier.

[isthisnickcool]

I hope you don't mind, I posted one of your pics on my homepage.

Nope. No problem. Too bad the only thing worse than my photographic skills is my penmanship. Or is it "penpersonship" in our politically correct world?

[Jhoffa_]

I don't care if they are unhappy, I just resent being called a weirdo because they are unhappy..

"Issues" indeed..

[Jhoffa_]

Oh! It's perfect for them.. The "evil" Americans and those "awful" zionists both in one blow!

I thought it was just common sense that they were going to claim it was the wrath of allah, a rebuke and so on and so forth.. Stir up their faithful and call us names.. Laugh at our dead and mock them..

I guess it wasn't common sense after all from the tone of the responses I got..

[Howlin]

LOL.....oh, yes, we have to be weird for them to be normal!

[cowgirlcutie]

Oops, I apologize, I meant 'flyover country'. I just get so upset when people find any opportunity to pile on (like this person did), and start denegrating Texans as 'bubbas' and 'hicks'. I hate to disappoint them, but most 'Texans' that are here now, were born in some other state and most of us ARE NOT 'hicks' and 'bubbas'.

[Rushmore Rocks]

You are echoing my sentiments (check my #405). I am a very proud former Texan...........ooops! Once a Texan, always a Texan!

P.S. Do you think we'll hear from Flair again? Maybe we have been too unkind. A little "unTexanly"?

[cowgirlcutie]

Well...as I told him/her, I'm not trying to be rude, but when someone starts making 'knee-jerk' assumptions about people, whatever state they may be from, it just makes my blood boil. That's like saying all people from Wisconsin listen to polka music and eat Bratwurst (not that there's anything wrong with polka music and I, for one, LOVE Bratwurst). People around here are pretty down about this thing happening and to start with the insults right now is pretty low.

[XBob]

"Oh yeah! I had it backwards!"

not necessarily. Just trying to make the point, it could be either way.

at this point we don't know.

[Rightly Biased]

bump to self for later

[XBob]

"As I understand, they use Nitrogen early on, and Helium when they get to space."

---

Nitrogen yes. I just don't remember any helium tanks used in the frcs or the ohms/rcs pods.

I do remember that we could never keep our test helium from leaking in the HMF (hypergolic maintenance facility) and we were always testing our levels to take into consideration the levels leaked test helium always present, so the test meters could be properly calibrated to account for it.

We need to get one of the mechanics who actually worked on the pods. we fairly regularly had hypergolic leaks or 'spills' from small amounts left in the lines. didn't take much - 1 teaspoon under a 55 steel gallon drum was enough to blow one into the air a pretty fair number of feet.

[BenLurkin]

Ah, one of my favorite jokes: When is a farmer an expert . . .?

[XBob]

454 - what can I say but 'bump'.

[Palladin]

Sad to look at the pictures and realize there are human remains scattered all over those areas. Brings back bad memories of 9-11. The only up side is that the remains can be identified, and the loved ones will have something to bury.

[Aliska]

Here's a whole gallery of debris photos found on a camera forum:

Nacogdoches Texas Photos

[XBob]

"Seems to me that the odds of any serious contamination are too low, but that NASA is using chemical contamination by the propellant(s) to "prevent" handling from people so the engineering forensics/accident investigation is made easier."

that is probably true. I can't answer your first questions, but on a normal mission return, only a few gallons (but a teaspoon would blow your hand off).

On occasion (eg aborted mission) we would get back nearly full units, and then we would ban only essential personnel from a 1/2 mile area, and were told our whole city bolck sized complex could be taken out in case they blew.

I used to know the amounts, but have now forgotten. I am sure the data is available somewhere.

But basically, one whif of the supposedly oxidizer could kill you by 'oxidizing' your lungs.

Have you ever gone to an openhouse over at KSC, sometimes, if they have nothing going on, they allow visitors at the HMF. It would be a nice day trip for you (daytona isn't it you are from).

[Arkinsaw]

Oops, I apologize, I meant 'flyover country'. I just get so upset when people find any opportunity to pile on (like this person did), and start denegrating Texans as 'bubbas' and 'hicks'. I hate to disappoint them, but most 'Texans' that are here now, were born in some other state and most of us ARE NOT 'hicks' and 'bubbas'

I've done my share of Texan-bashing. Lived there for 6 years so I know all about it. But there is nothing wrong with a "bubba" just because he is a "bubba".

Most Texans have risen to this occasion and this is obvious in what we have seen of what the average citizens are doing and in the actions of their public officials so far.

I never miss an opportunity to lay it on the Texans if they give me one. They have not given me an opportunity in this case and I salute how they've been handling this.

[nhoward14]

And Heaven help us if we have to explain the concept of "sweet tea" to them!

[amom]

for future refrence.

"...A San Francisco amateur astronomer who photographs the space shuttles whenever their orbits carry them over the Bay Area has captured five strange and provocative images of the shuttle Columbia just as it was re-entering the Earth's atmosphere before dawn Saturday...reveal what appear to be bright electrical phenomena flashing around the track of the shuttle's passage, but the photographer, who asked not to be identified will not make them public immediately..."

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/834599/posts