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

[seams2me]

"This is a tasteless thread. Reveling in debris found - another new low at FR. Next thing you know, someone will post the skull, burnt torso and other various body parts found."

no, that stuff will be on rotten.com, and I daresay I'll be over there looking at it.

I don't find this dishonorable at all.

We all have a curiosity about these things, if you don't want to see them, DON'T LOOK.

[seams2me]

your comments are unwanted here, go away.

[amom]

Thanks so much for fixing it. I have a copy printed out now.

I understand what you are saying about it helping somehow. I don't quite understand it either. I do know I deal better with things if I can DO SOMETHING, and if this helps NASA then great!

[amom]

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

Boy do I understand that one! Sorry it didn't come up for you.

[ejo]

"seven foot debris fell<

I would have thought the piece would have impacted into the ground from the height it fell but it appears as if it just floated down and landed.

[celtic gal]

If the Columbia began to break up over California, I wonder if the crew knew this. I cannot imgaine knowing such a thing, fighting to save the spacecraft and somehow knowing it was going to be for naught.Thanks for the updated pics. This is certainly a thought provoking event...

[chuckles]

One senario I thought of was the wheel well heating to the point a tire burst. That may have blown a larger hole in the underside, speeding up the destruction of the wing. It also could have changed the aerodynamics of the shuttle to the point of throwing it off angle and burning up. Either way, I can't believe they even knew anything was wrong before it was too late. The first trouble the ground seem to notice was a hot sensor and a tire pressure alarm. He didn't even get the sentence out of his mouth before the shuttle was gone.

P.S.

To the people that don't want to see the pictures, I want everyone to have the truth about everything burned into their brain pan. I want the WTC pics burned there to remind us constantly what we are fighting for. I want pictures of war burned there to remind us what war is and not to spit on our warriors when they come home. We should remember these photo's to remind us not to be so complacent about what America is doing routinely every day and the risk brave Americans glady take. To hide these things is to live in a sanitized fairytale where it is easy to criticize decisions others have to make. That is why pictures of the Holocost are routinly shown, but abortion is never seen. Pictures are powerfull.

[Son of Rooster]

Your compassion is touching. I bet you've got posters of the Scumbags in Somallia dragging the dead Special Forces through the streets also.
Situational Awareness isn't your strong point. More amazing is the lack of respect for the dead or their families.

SOR

[Sungirl]

Situational awareness? I'm certainly aware that you and your friends consistently take any situation involving me and take my question or statement and dramatize it to the most outrageous awareness as possible in hopes that others will pick up on your comment and assume the worst of me...... Yes...I'm aware of that situation.

[Arkinsaw]

Piece of Possible Shuttle Debris Found In Joshua Tree, California

[Diddle E. Squat]

Hick? None of those persons have joy on their face, that old couple even look a bit pained by the whole thing. And I can assure you they most likely were. They found it, they aren't happy about it, wish it hadn't happened, but are being polite in letting the news photographer there. When in doubt, most of these persons are polite. They didn't chose for this to happen to them, but they certainly aren't going to let the media go tromping all over their property unescorted.

Posing? Few of them are actually facing the camera, and they don't look happy. I'm sorry if they don't have the benefit of a smooth professional PR guide to tell them how to look properly concerned or bereaved. When a tragedy happens, few people know exactly how to react, its not something one prepares for.

Cut these people a break. I think your anger was misdirected.

[Diddle E. Squat]

See post #192 for what "Hicks" do.

[Mark Felton]

Very interesting how it was burned through the center, but not around the outer edges. It suggests it was burned while it was part of a larger assembly and by the time it was seperated from the larger assembly it had already slowed down enough that the atmospheric friction was no longer sufficient to burn it further.

I would bet the other side is pretty black.

This almost appears to be burned as a result of a lower temperature onboard fire (picture flames erupting through the center) and smoke and flames being pulled away from the undarkened surfaces.

If the flames were coming from outside into the ship through this hole then I would have expected more browning of the surface caused by recirculating smoke, heat and flames within a small confined area. Note: If this was burned due atmospheric friction I would have expected much, much greater temperatures that would have almost instantly incinerated all of the aluminum piece (I am assuming its aluminum), or certainly melted it around the edges. I would guess the material in the center was not the same as the aluminum ring, and melted or burned at a much lower temp than the aluminum ring.

All pure conjection, and speculation. But this is a hugely important find if confirmed to be a shuttle part.

[Mark Felton]

BTW: This burn would be consistent with an electrical fire and/or arcing.

Let me explain two possibilities:

1) If the ring were an electrical bulkhead feedthrough (with a wire bundle passing through the center) then this burn would be consistent with the wires themselves critically overheating and incinerating due to massive electrical current overload.

Note. This would also be consistent with the uniformly rectangular burn pattern because such bulkhead feeds often use rubber around their inner diameters to protect the wires and provide a seal. The rubber would burn away completely at lower temperatures leaving the aluminum ring fairly intact.

2) An electrical arc could also cause a similar burn, very high energy pulse for a very short time period burining through a thinner metal surface in the middle while leaving the thicker outer ring fairly intact. (kinda like a fuse). The burn duration would have to be very short to leave the outer ring in such good condition.

All pure speculation.

[Son of Rooster]

YAWN. Falling back to the let's all get sungirl defense. sorry, that dog won't hunt. I was reading the posts and viola, there was a post.
When confronted with facts, you're the one to dramatize.
Your comments, are just plain wrong.
Not picking on ya. I have no "friends" here on FR.
If it was a matter of consistency, you'd get comments on each of your posts.
Your reply was...well...predictable.

SOR (He who dares not to offend cannot be honest. T. Paine)

[forest6147]

I found these tile fragments in My yard on 2-01-03 in Anderson Co.Tx.

[ToTheStars]

I live in Clear Lake and we work for NASA. We have friends who are astronauts! One of them is due to go up on the next flight.

Please tell your friends that many of us support and salute their efforts.

[Terriergal]

Did that make any sense to you, or have I just not had enough coffee this morning?

[Terriergal]

I'm certainly aware that you and your friends consistently take any situation involving me and take my question or statement and dramatize it to the most outrageous awareness as possible

Setting aside that your defense here really doesn't address SOR's post;

I thought you loved Rush Limbaugh. Isn't that [illustrating absurdity by being absurd] *exactly* what he does to illustrate how ridiculous his opponents' arguments/priorities/ideologies are? We're only asking that you be consistent and correct with your moral priorities. That's what it means to be conservative.

[Mark Felton]

thanks