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

[Momaw Nadon]

Just one long debris field from doppler radar I believe.

[XBob]

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

According to the Diagram that Dan day posted at #263, there are at least 6 Helium tanks (two in each of the reaction control systems). Not that the item in question was neccessarily one of them.

---

Thanks, lepton, for sticking with this. I couldn't read the graphic very well, and going from my memory, as a parts trouble shooter on the shuttle in the late 80's.

So, perhaps the helium systems are indeed trouble free.

I will remember now about the helium.

[XBob]

I saw a message head accross the screen that said the shuttle "broke up at an altitude of 200,000 miles".

Of course, what they were saying was often a lot dumber.

---

OhOh - i just heard on ABC that there was a hatching moth in one of the experiments. Now, I bet, the greenies and PETA are going to demand stopping all space flight because we are killing moths

[cowgirlcutie]

Thank you for reminding 'some people' of that fact. Isn't it sad when they jump on any opportunity to trash people when there are more important things going on?

[Terriergal]

Yeah... how come we can't show pictures of aborted babies?

How about some pictures of mangled cats?

Go away. You're so insensitive I don't understand why you're even on this forum. You'd fit in better on that OTHER site.

[Elsie]

Just to keep things in perspective, a train wreck in Zimbabwe killed 46 yesterday. The cleanup people were pulling burned and charred bodies from the debris for hours.

It rated 2 column inches in section E of today's Indianaplois Star, page 6.

[amom]

Mark do you still want debris photos?

[amom]

[amom]

[amom]

[Terriergal]

ugh... :-( yeah I heard about that.

[tutstar]

I'm glad to have this thread, I missed the part with the shenanigans earlier. I don't have the chance to be at the tv all day so I've seen pics on this thread that I haven't seen before.

I just wanted to share my thoughts. It is still so unbelievable to me that the shuttle broke apart. Looking at these pics helps me to reconcile my shock and disbelief with reality. We are also looking at the heart of our nation, folks who probably will never be seen again in photos so widely distributed. People like us whose expressions show what we are feeling;sadness, unbelief, shock.

I don't feel like the folks in the pics are posing, per se, but they are perfectly natural just like I would be if it were me. I think I would probably have sat staring at it until the authorities came to take it away. Seriously, there has never been anything this serious happen in their lives. They are forever changed as we all are. I'm sure if it were up to any of them they would have chosen never to have to be included in such a horrible disaster.

Looking at the pieces of the shuttle is hard, especially the pic of the helmet and shoe. I personally have a hard time to call any of it debris. It is the shuttle in pieces, debris would be something they would discard from the shuttle. I know that debris is the term that NASA uses a lot, it's just hard for me.

Seeing the pics gets me to thinking even more...wondering what the astronauts last moments may have been like. I pray they felt no pain and did not realize what was happening. I don't believe there will ever be any pics of their bodies released nor should there be.

This is such a sad event. I thank God every day for my life and I have for some time. It is hard to understand why people who were so smart and dedicated have been taken from us. They contributed so much and have sacrificed much more than many of us will. They were blessed to spend their last moments doing what they loved, and at the same time it is sad that they did not get to spend their last moments of life with their loved ones.

Thanks for letting me take up some time with my thoughts. I have no intent of causing anyone to argue. I guess I just needed to get this out, but the sadness is still here in me.

[amom]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and putting into words some of my own.

[amom]

Oh by the way as I understand it that "shoe" is actually a pedal. Don't know that it makes a difference but thought I'd let you know.

[amom]

Appears to be a portion of the undersurface of the orbiter. Black tiles have been stripped away from the underlying structure, leaving the white silica core visible. Of particular interest is the corner tile which reminds me of the outboard trailing edge of the right wing. If the left wing leading edge and underside were responsible for the loss of vehicle, then that debris should not be located in Louisiana or Texas. The debris in La or Tx should be the material furthest from the structure that lacked TPS protection. 61 posted on 02/03/2003 9:05 PM PST by bonesmccoy

From: Space Shuttle's Nose Cone Found Near La (Louisiana, that is) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/835347/posts"

[amom]

WFAA-TV Amateur tape shows what appears to be an object breaking off Columbia over Arizona. 83 posted on 02/03/2003 9:52 PM PST by deport
ttp://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/835385/posts

[amom]

Map of Debris field.. Texas Counties It's a pdf file so give it a little time, then use your enlargement feature

84 posted on 02/03/2003 10:00 PM PST by deport
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/835385/posts

[Elsie]

Give it a LITTLE time!!?

I don't HAVE that much time! It sat there for about 10 minutes and I gave up!!

(Phone modem)

[Sungirl]

We aparently have a bunch of hyper-sensitive, self appointed hall monitors out there projecting their own strangeness onto the rest of us.
..........
I think some (un-named) people would do well to remember that we're not all emotionally crippled, basket cases here..

It sure seems so!

[not-an-ostrich]

The hall monitors might admonish me for this post. I was touched by a photo on Yahoo about noon today. A uniformed man was cradling a black/green bag wrapped with yellow tape. From the way he was holding the bag and the shape I thought it was human remains. The comment was "more Columbia debris retrieved..." From photos I think the mechanical parts of Columbia are placed in clear bags and human remains in black/green. Kind of a morbid observation but if so I'm glad another family will find some peace regarding their loved ones remains. This would be agonizing for me if my daughter or grand-daughter's body was missing and I knew the approximate location.