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Editorial: Columbia crash 2 February 2003 The destruction of the NASA space shuttle Columbia is a tragedy which affects us all. The reason why, other than common humanity, the burden of grief should be shared across the world is that space is a frontier across which all peoples of the globe must push, not just a handful of countries with leading technologies. It will probably be a long time before the precise cause of the shuttle’s disintegration, 200,000 feet above Texas, as it glided at 12,000 mph toward landing, will be known. When, almost 17 years ago to the...

Nasa chiefs 'repeatedly ignored' safety warnings Peter BeaumontSunday February 2, 2003The Observer Fears of a catastrophic shuttle accident were raised last summer with the White House by a former Nasa engineer who pleaded for a presidential order to halt all further shuttle flights until safety issues had been addressed. In a letter to the White House, Don Nelson, who served with Nasa for 36 years until he retired in 1999, wrote to President George W. Bush warning that his 'intervention' was necessary to 'prevent another catastrophic space shuttle accident'. During his last 11 years at Nasa, Nelson served as a...

This is a very small wish. You can Google up NASA to get a web site and a contact email if you wish to extend your prayers and wishes to the remaining souls who could use it. God Bless America.

NASA Grounds Shuttle Fleet While Probing Columbia Disaster David McAlary Washington 02 Feb 2003, 01:22 UTC Listen to David McAlary's report (RealAudio) McAlary report - Download 583k (RealAudio) The U.S. space agency, NASA, is suspending future shuttle flights until it knows what caused the loss of the shuttle Columbia and its seven- member crew. Columbia broke up over Texas Saturday minutes before it was to land in Florida after a 16-day research mission in Earth orbit. Seven astronauts, including the first from Israel, went down to their deaths in a hail of shuttle debris over Texas. Dramatic videotapes from a...

Columbia's Problems Began on Left Wing By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Filed at 6:56 p.m. ET CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) -- Investigators trying to figure out what destroyed space shuttle Columbia immediately focused on the left wing and the possibility that its thermal tiles were damaged far more seriously than NASA realized by a piece of debris during liftoff. Just a little over a minute into Columbia's launch Jan. 16, a chunk of insulating foam peeled away from the external fuel tank and smacked into the ship's left wing. On Saturday, that same wing started exhibiting sensor failures and other problems...

Flags to be Flown at Half-Staff Memorandum from Governor Jeb Bush Saturday, February 1, 2003 All flags on state property shall be flown at half-staff beginning Saturday, February 1, 2003 at 11 a.m. until sunset Friday, February 7, 2003 in honor of the crew members of the Space Shuttle Columbia. Governor Jeb Bush has asked that all state and local government agencies lower their U.S. and state flags. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the Columbia crew. If you have any questions or need additional information please contact the Governor's Office.

<p>The Columbia's loss is a searing reminder of American heroism.</p> <p>"The Columbia is lost. There are no survivors." Blunt words spoken softly by President Bush this afternoon. He spoke of how easy it is for all of us to "overlook the dangers of travel by rocket. . . . These astronauts knew the dangers, and they faced them willingly." He spoke of why "mankind is led into the darkness," and he promised that "our journey into space will go on."</p>

Don't know if this was already posted but, in case you missed it .... Dan Rather took over the coverage of the disaster around 11am. In the early stages of his coverage, someone from Texas called in to confirm debris in his front yard. Dan thanked the caller. The caller responded: "Thank you, Mr Rather, for taking my call." Rather: "Call me Dan". Caller: "Okay Dan". Rather: "Caller, please describe the debris." Caller: "Dan, a large crowd has gathered to view this." Rather: "What is it?" Caller: "I believe it's an astronaut's tooth". Rather: "A what?" Caller: "You're an idiot!"...

Final radio transmission between Columbia and Mission Control: Mission Control: 'Columbia, Houston we see your tire pressure messages and we did not copy your last.' Columbia: 'Roger, uh, ...' (transmission breaks off after the crew member starts to stay a word beginning with the sound 'buh.') Burn through??

National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationLyndon B. Johnson Space Center Houston, Texas 77058 Biographical Data RICK DOUGLAS HUSBAND (COLONEL, USAF) NASA ASTRONAUT PERSONAL DATA: Born July 12, 1957, in Amarillo, Texas. Married. Two children. He enjoys singing, water and snow skiing, cycling, and spending time with his family. EDUCATION: Graduated from Amarillo High School, Amarillo, Texas, in 1975. Received a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Texas Tech University in 1980, and a master of science degree in mechanical engineering from California State University, Fresno, in 1990. ORGANIZATIONS: Member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, Tau Beta...

My fellow Americans, this day has brought terrible news and great sadness to our country. At 9:00 a.m. this morning, Mission Control in Houston lost contact with our Space Shuttle Columbia. A short time later, debris was seen falling from the skies above Texas. The Columbia is lost; there are no survivors. On board was a crew of seven: Colonel Rick Husband; Lt. Colonel Michael Anderson; Commander Laurel Clark; Captain David Brown; Commander William McCool; Dr. Kalpana Chawla; and Ilan Ramon, a Colonel in the Israeli Air Force. These men and women assumed great risk in the service to all...

Palestinian, Israeli fly tests on shuttle By Richard Stenger CNN Tuesday, January 21, 2003 Posted: 12:00 AM HKT (1600 GMT) Yuval Landau, left, and Tariq Adwan at the Kennedy Space Center ------------------------------------------------------------------------    Story Tools           ------------------------------------------------------------------------ SHUTTLE MISSION GUIDE Gallery: Mission intro, timeline and crew biographies  GLOBAL CREWS Interactive: International shuttle astronauts  RELATED NASA Human Spaceflight  ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Behind the Scenes: A look at shuttle security after 9/11  (CNN) -- In an unlikely scientific partnership that crosses political barriers, Palestinian and Israeli researchers have joined forces to organize a science project onboard the space shuttle Columbia. The science project, which...

Shuttle Catastrophe to Stir Political; Policy Decision Making By Leonard David Senior Space Writer posted: 07:35 pm ET 01 February 2003 The tragic loss of Columbia and its crew will bring about a series of tough decisions by NASA, the White House, and the American public. Both the future direction of human space travel and overall operation of the International Space Station must be addressed in short order. Harrison Schmitt, Apollo 17 moonwalker and former Senator from New Mexico, said that getting a shuttle back into space is critical. "You can no longer stand-down indefinitely. There is commitment to the...

Local Aviation Expert: Terrorism A Possibility CBS Print This Story Feb 1, 2003 10:58 pm US/Eastern (KYW) (PHILADELPHIA) While leading theories are emerging about what exactly happened to Space Shuttle Columbia on Saturday, Eyewitness News spoke with nationally-renowned aviation expert Arthur Wolk about what may have caused the disaster. While Wolk says technical or structural problems are at the top of his list, he won't rule out terrorism. "Well, perhaps the leading theory is that a very large piece of insulation came off that orange fuel tank and struck the left wing. Of course no one would know how much...

CHICAGO (AP) - Boeing Co., NASA's largest space contractor, said it would do what it could to help officials determine what caused Saturday's tragedy aboard the space shuttle Columbia. Chicago-based Boeing generates about $2 billion, or about 4 percent of its business, from its work on NASA's manned space operations, which includes the space shuttle and the international space station programs. "We are doing everything possible to support NASA and the United Space Alliance in their investigation of (the) tragedy," the company said on its Web site. A Boeing spokeswoman declined to comment on what effect the shuttle disaster...

NASA Unlikely to Build New Space Shuttle Sat Feb 1, 6:15 PM ET By MATT CRENSON, AP National Writer NASA (news - web sites) is extremely unlikely to build a new space shuttle to replace Columbia, according to experts, leaving the space agency with the three remaining orbiters as its entire fleet for the foreseeable future. The next generation of reusable space vehicles is at least 10 to 15 years off, said Donald H. Emero, who served as the shuttle's chief engineer from 1989 to 1993. "I think the country will not invest in any more shuttles," Emero said Saturday....

For the second time in two years, President Bush spoke to console and grieve with the rest of the nation in remarks regarding the tragic loss of the space shuttle Columbia. Bush left Camp David early this morning and returned to the White House as he followed the events over the Texas sky. In his speech, Bush succinctly expressed the fears of by stating, 'The Columbia is lost; there are no survivors.' The President exchanged condolences with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon as the first Israeli astronaut lost his life with six other Americans. All federal flags have been lowered...

Nation mourns astronauts lost aboard shuttle Columbia 02/01/2003 From Staff and Wire Reports The space shuttle Columbia, carrying seven astronauts including an Israeli and three with Texas connections, broke up over North Central Texas enroute to a scheduled landing in Florida on Saturday morning. "Columbia is lost; there are no survivors," President George W. Bush said in an address to the nation. "The astronauts knew the dangers and they faced them willingly," the president said, flanked by two flags and his voice dropping almost to a whisper at some points. Mr. Bush pledged that the U.S. space program would...