Space Shuttle Columbia lost?

[Umbran]

Well, damn.

Columbia was chronologically oldest of the shuttles, yes. But it hadn't flown themost missions. The things are designed for 100 missions, and Columbia had flown 28. In that sense, she wasn't "old" at all.

A suggestion - Let us not worry yet about causes. It's fairly certain that we won't know for some time. Speculation and rumors will serve no good at this time.

 

[thatdarncat]

BBC has a police officer from Dallas county on who watched the shuttle break up

 

[Cold Beer]

This takes me back to 8th grade when I heard about the Challenger accident. I prayed then that I wouldn't live to see it happen again... and I'm praying the same thing now.

I just hope this doesn't scrub the entire space program.

I was in grade school when this happened last time. I'll never forget that day, and I'll never forget this one.

This is awful.


I don't think that this will halt the space program. It would be a disgrace to the memories and legacies of those we have lost. We must remember how IMPORTANT the space program is for us! We can't afford to stop now.

Humanity can't afford to.

The only comfort I can think of to give right now:
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/apollo8_xmas.html


Peace.

 

[thatdarncat]

according to BBC:
<thatdarncat> one of the heat tiles on the fuel tank came off on launch
<thatdarncat> so that in itself wasn't a danger (fuel tank is jetisoned during launch)

I assume this is the insulation people are talking about, that's not too unusual

 

[hammymchamham]

my hope is that our experts in this field can learn from this. they can find out what happened so it'll never happen again.

 

[cthuluftaghn]

CAN'T halt the Space Program. We still have astronauts up there on the International Space Station.

There's apparently a "life raft" craft to get them home, but it's still an issue of what to do with the Space Station.

 

[Sagan Darkside]

What a shame. A great loss of brave and intelligent people.

Their poor families watched the whole thing live from command. They have my deepest sympathies.

SD

 

[thatdarncat]

nasa spokesperson on BBC now, no new news

 

[orbitalfreak]

Reports now of debris being found on the ground, in Nacodoches(sp?) TX.

 

[thatdarncat]

Reports now of debris being found on the ground, in Nacodoches(sp?) TX.

http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=2152317

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - The U.S. space agency NASA said debris from the shuttle Columbia has been sighted in Texas after the orbiter broke up after losing communication with its controllers on Saturday.
The shuttle with seven astronauts on board, including the first Israeli astronaut, lost contact with NASA at about 9 a.m., 16 minutes before its scheduled landing at Kennedy Space Center in Florida as it crossed the United States.

"Debris has been sighted in north central Texas. Search and rescue has been dispatched in Dallas-Fort Worth area," NASA said in a statement on its Web site.

Television images showed several white trails in the blue sky -- an indication of the possible breakup of the shuttle because normally only a single trail is visible. Officials immediately warned about the possibility of toxic debris in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.