[Born to Conserve]

Here is a link to the video of the impact.

http://www.floridatoday.com/columbia/debrisvideo.htm

The last few frames CLEARLY show an OBJECT that has deflected off the wing.

The size and acceleration of the object before it impacts will give you the mass of the object, and the angle of deflection and velocity before and after the impact will give you an idea of how much work (damage) was done on the wing. I presume NASA has already done this and seen haw foolish they were. That would explain the shameful obfuscation in their briefings.

I am sensing GROSS NEGLIGENCE.

First point of negligence:
If this video had been analyzed by a competent engineer, they would have freaked. The alarm would have been rung.

Second point of negligence:
Tile inspection should have been a standard operation for all flights. All they would have needed to do is place an off the shelf video camera out the payload bay, and turn the shuttle in front of it. God! A $50 X-10 camera with eight double "A" batteries would have worked!

The Congressmen, who are ultimatly responsible, should be publicly chastised.

[JoJo Gunn]

Does every shuttle have that robotic arm Canada designed? If so, is/was it jointed and extendable enough it could have positioned a camera out there for a better look?

[Reagan Man]

I don't know what the ultimate outcome of the Columbia investigation will be and and neither do you. You have every right to be curious about the events surrounding the tragedy, but its too early to have serious doubts since insufficient evidence has been produced so far. Your speculation is okay, but pointing fingers and placing blame based on that flimsy video, is wrong.

Let's see what actually transpires and what the experts have to say. At this point, jumping to conclusions, solves nothing.

[the_doc]

The size and acceleration of the object before it impacts will give you the mass of the object, and the angle of deflection and velocity before and after the impact will give you an idea of how much work (damage) was done on the wing.

Even if the conservation-of-energy study could be accurately done in the way you have suggested, it wouldn't reveal anything about damage done to the wing. (Determining the amount of energy transfered to the wing wouldn't tell us anything very useful.)

I presume NASA has already done this and seen how foolish they were. That would explain the shameful obfuscation in their briefings...I am sensing GROSS NEGLIGENCE...First point of negligence: If this video had been analyzed by a competent engineer, they would have freaked.

I don't think so. I would urge you to leave it to the engineers.

[MattGarrett]

Robe, don't be so sensationalist without all the facts. NASA consulted engineers, astronauts, experts and all determined that the risk was minimal. Now, absent of evidence - we can only conjecture whether the impact caused the failure. If it did, it was not due to "gross negligence" on the part of NASA. There would be nothing NASA could do but bring the Columbia down and hope for the best even if they did know the damage was a major issue.

So to accuse NASA of negligence only shows your ignorance of the situation and the space program in general.

Wait for the facts and get educated.