Guest cpac Report post Posted February 1, 2003 But I just heard on the radio that NASA"s shuttle Columbia is missing. I just hears on wfan 66 am here in ny. No details yet. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest CanadianChris Report post Posted February 1, 2003 Just showed a camera shot of the descent...there were multiple vapour trails coming out of the sky. This looks very bad. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MarvinisaLunatic Report post Posted February 1, 2003 Im watching it now on CNN. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MrRant Report post Posted February 1, 2003 If it is terrorists then expect raging ball of fire in the form of high explosives to send them swiftly to their "Allah". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest RobJohnstone Report post Posted February 1, 2003 Rant, I think terrorists are more economical. When they hit something make it more the merrier, as shitty as that sounds. I do not think they are worried about 7-10 people if that. --Rob Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MarvinisaLunatic Report post Posted February 1, 2003 For what its worth, there was an Israeli astronaut on board. However, I doubt from what they just said, that this was terrorist related. I do find it somewhat odd that the shuttle was seen crashing over Palestine, Texas.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MrRant Report post Posted February 1, 2003 Yeah I just saw that. It will be an unfortunate blow to NASA if this is like Challenger. Space is the future and this could even jeopardize the Internation Space Station. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest HartFan86 Report post Posted February 1, 2003 If you haven't seen the footage, it's obvious that no one survived. Hopefully the people in Dallas look out because god forbid where the fuck all the debris landed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Ace309 Report post Posted February 1, 2003 I think we can safely rule out terrorism, yes. Wow. I was too young to understand Challenger, and so... this is just disturbing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest HartFan86 Report post Posted February 1, 2003 http://www.msnbc.com/news/857733.asp?0cv=CA00#BODY Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MarvinisaLunatic Report post Posted February 1, 2003 Needless to say this is getting posted a ton on TotalFark. Ejection seats on a space shuttle would be highly impractical at 200,000 ft and 12,000 miles an hour. I would think you would have more of a chance of surving the crash then surviving the ejection.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MarvinisaLunatic Report post Posted February 1, 2003 Some idiot is trying to start rumors on CNN about there being a plane near the shuttle. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest HartFan86 Report post Posted February 1, 2003 Someone pranked phone called MSNBC saying someone shot down the shuttle and Howard Stern was on it (?). It was...weird. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Texas Small Arms 09 Report post Posted February 1, 2003 My neighbor's brother was awoken by the bang. He lives southest of Dallas and saw the shuttle pieces break off. And now you are gonna get all the backwoods Texans with no teeth calling in are reporting things falling onto their farm and whatnot. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest RobJohnstone Report post Posted February 1, 2003 fucking idiots, who would do some shit like that, especially in the wake of 9/11. We should find them and ship them to some third world country to teach them a fucking lesson. --Rob Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Texas Small Arms 09 Report post Posted February 1, 2003 No what's stupid is people thinking this is terrorist related. If you have listened to the reports there is no way it could be terrorist related due to the fact that the missles that would have to be used have to be shot from the ground (not on the shoulder) and not many of those exist. But I guess people people wanna hear it from Bush himself, so now the American public and stop panicking about possible terrorist acts Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest wwF1587 Report post Posted February 1, 2003 man i just woke up, turned on fox news and I'm just kinda in shock Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MarvinisaLunatic Report post Posted February 1, 2003 Teacher who was the backup to the teacher who was on the challenger was going up in a shuttle in November..not anymore I don't think. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest HartFan86 Report post Posted February 1, 2003 CBS just reported the flag has been lowered half-staf at Kennedy Space Center. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Texas Small Arms 09 Report post Posted February 1, 2003 There isn't much hope that they will find much of this shuttle. This is a damn shame. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest cartman Report post Posted February 1, 2003 Interesting, they are saying for people in the area to NOT breathe the air around any pieces of the debris because the fuel can cause suffocation and eventually death within 48 hours. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Zero_Cool Report post Posted February 1, 2003 The "big bang" happened at like 9 am here. I slept right through that. It's 10:20 now, and I'll tell you what, the video is freaking scary. You see just a huge explosion. Apparently, some debris has fallen in Plano, Texas, which due to my city being higher than most of the rest in the Dallas/For Worth area, can be seen just down the road. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest RenegadeX28 Report post Posted February 1, 2003 Man, this is a shocker. I feel sorry for the families that are related to the astrounauts. Of course, terrorism has been ruled out at this point. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest HartFan86 Report post Posted February 1, 2003 Fox News is saying debris is just everywhere in Texas. What a fucking mess this will be. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Eagan469 Report post Posted February 1, 2003 vapor trail from shuttle coming down (red streak): Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Powerplay Report post Posted February 1, 2003 For those of you who may be having trouble getting to CNN.com due to overloading: Columbia shuttle breaks up over Texas Seven astronauts were aboard Saturday, February 1, 2003 Posted: 12:02 PM EST (1702 GMT) HOUSTON, Texas (CNN) -- The space shuttle Columbia broke up as it descended over Texas Saturday toward a planned landing at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, showering debris across southeastern Texas and into Louisiana. Police in Nacogdoches, Texas, reported "numerous pieces of debris" both inside the city limits and in Nacogdoches County. "Information is really sketchy," Det. Greg Sowell said. "We want people to stay away, because some of it could be toxic." Sowell said officers and city and county employees were being dispatched to stand by the debris until the arrival of FBI and NASA representatives. The debris field is believed to be very large. Residents as far east as Shreveport, Louisiana, reported seeing and feeling an apparent explosion. "As we seen [Columbia] coming over, we seen a lot of light and it looked like debris and stuff was coming off the shuttle," Kemp, Texas, resident Benjamin Laster told CNN. "We seen large masses of pieces coming off from the shuttle as it was coming by," Laster said. Then, "the house kind of shook and we noticed a sonic boom ... and then we seen a big continuous puff of vapor or smoke stream come out and then we noticed a big chunk go over." Search-and-rescue teams from the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, area were alerted and residents were urged to stay away from any possible debris from the shuttle, which may be hazardous, said NASA public affairs officer James Hartfield. Shuttle commander Rick D. Husband, Pilot William C. McCool, Payload Commander Michael P. Anderson, Mission Specialists David M. Brown, Kalpana Chawla and Laurel Clark and Israel's first astronaut, Ilan Ramon, were on board. President Bush was briefed at Camp David, Maryland, and cut short his stay at the retreat to return to the White House. The administration was preparing to convene a "domestic event" conference among all domestic and military agencies that may be involved in the next step. An administration official said the shuttle's altitude -- over 200,000 feet -- made it "highly unlikely" that the shuttle fell victim to a terrorist act. "We have no information at this time that indicates that this was a terrorism incident," said Gordon Johndroe, press secretary for the Department of Homeland Security. "Obviously, the investigation is just beginning, but that is what we know now." Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge went to the White House shortly after hearing the report. NASA officials at the Johnson Space Center in Houston said they last had contact with the shuttle about 9 a.m. EST, and it had been expected to touch down at about 9:16 a.m. EST. Video of the shuttle tracking over Dallas showed multiple vapor trails, but NASA spokesman Kyle Herring said it was too early to determine the source. Steve Petrovich, a police officer in Palestine, Texas, said he heard "a rumble and boom" at about 8 a.m. CDT (9 a.m. EST). Jim Hubbs of New Boston, Texas, said he heard police discussing over a police scanner "a smoking object going southeast" that disappeared in the Bowie County area near the Arkansas state line. Amy Townsend, of Carthage, said she heard a loud boom that shook her house. She said there were two or three loud noises that lasted about a minute and that she saw a cloud of smoke outside her house. Don Farmer of Lufkin, outside of Dallas, said he heard loud noises that lasted for 10 to 15 seconds. The noise sounded like dynamite exploding, and he thought it was an aircraft breaking the sound barrier. Dozens of people, including several officers, reported seeing "a ball of fire," Bowie County Sheriff's office dispatcher Jodine Langford said. "They saw it go out and then break into pieces," she said. (Witnesses' Reports) Officials said no tracking data were available. The flag near the countdown clock at Kennedy Space Center was lowered to half-staff. The Israeli Embassy in Washington has dispatched a small team to Florida to be with Col. Ilan Ramon's wife, four children and his parents, a spokesman for the Israeli embassy told CNN. Ramon's family members had traveled from Israel to watch the planned return of the shuttle to the Kennedy Space Center Saturday morning. Ramon's father was at a television station watching the unfolding coverage. Ramon, 48, took part in the 1981 bombing of the nuclear reactor in Iraq. Former Senator John Glenn, who was the first American to orbit the Earth and returned to space at age 77, told The Associated Press that he had he met Husband while he was training for his 1998 mission. He said he was watching the landing on television with his wife. House Democratic leaders, who were holding a meeting in Pennsylvania, ended the session with a prayer for the seven astronauts. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those on board," House Democratic Leader Nacy Pelosi told The Associated Press. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the American people who place so much hope and who associate themselves with the courage and the bravery of those who venture into space." Columbia is the oldest of NASA's shuttle fleet, first launched in 1981. It was on its 28th mission. The shuttle underwent an extensive, 17-month overhaul that began in September, 1999. It rejoined the shuttle fleet in February, 2001 and flew its first mission after the upgrades in March, 2002. This is truly a sad. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest HartFan86 Report post Posted February 1, 2003 Just incase anyone really needs it, all 7 astronauts have been confirmed dead by the press conference currently going on. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest DrTom Report post Posted February 1, 2003 Recent reports on CBS indicate that debris has been found in five states. What appears to be a wing ripped off prior to the shuttle bursting into the flames. Obviously, this is being called a "major systems failure," though what caused it is not known. Supposedly, a piece of the red rocket tank broke off during launch and struck the shuttle's left wing, but there's no way of knowing yet if that could have caused this accident. Here's an article, linked from CNN.com, that tries to explain what may have caused the shuttle to break up, as well as what this means for the future of the space program. 'Aerodynamics May Explain Space Shuttle Breakup' TIME science correspondent Jeffrey Kluger examines the possible causes and consequences of the Columbia disaster Seven astronauts, including the first Israeli in space, were lost Saturday when the space shuttle Columbia broke apart in the skies of Texas. The incident occurred at an altitude of some 200,000 feet, shortly after reentry and 15 minutes before Columbia had been scheduled to land at Cape Canaveral. TIME science correspondent Jeffrey Kluger explains some of the possible causes and consequences of the accident: TIME.com: What are the possible scenarios that could have caused this disastrous accident on the shuttle's reentry into the Earth's atmosphere? Jeffrey Kluger: There are three possible scenarios that explain this event. The first, which I believe is the likeliest explanation, would be an aerodynamic structural breakup of the shuttle caused by it rolling at the wrong angle. Remember, after reentry, the shuttle is descending without power, which means astronauts at the controls can't compensate for a loss of attitude by using the engines, they can only do so using the flaps. And that's extremely hard. Astronauts describe piloting the shuttle on reentry as like trying to fly a brick with wings. It's very difficult to operate, and even more so to correct any problems. A second explanation might be a loss of tiles leading to a burn-through. (The shuttle is covered with heat-resistant tiles to protect the craft and those inside it from burning up in the scorching temperatures caused by the friction of reentry.) But I think that explanation is unlikely, because the tile-loss would have had to have been quite substantial for that to become possible. You'll hear a lot in the next few days about things falling off the shuttle during liftoff. But it often happens that they lose a few tiles, and I'd be surprised if it happened on a scale that could make an accident of this type possible. The last option is some kind of engine failure leading to fuel ignition. Although the main tanks are mostly empty, there should still be fuel left in the maneuvering tanks. But probably not enough for an explosion that could have caused this breakup. And just in case anybody was wondering, you can almost certainly rule out terrorism as a cause. This incident occurred well above the range of shoulder-fired missiles. And it would probably be easier to sneak a bomb onto Air Force One than to get one onto the shuttle. TIME.com: So is reentry the Achilles heel of the shuttle program? JK: No, the Achilles heel has always been liftoff, and the dangers posed by massive fuel load involved. Reentry has, of course, always been a difficult part of the space program. But this is, in fact, our first fatal accident on reentry. Apollo 13 is remembered as our most difficult ever reentry, but the ship and crew survived. The Soviets lost a crew on reentry in 1970 after an oxygen leak that caused the cosmonauts to suffocate on the way down. Reentry is a very difficult process, but the Russians mastered it in 1961 and we did the same a few years later. TIME.com: Are shuttle crews trained to respond to the scenarios you've described? JK: Yes, they're trained to deal with loss of attitude on reentry, and a range of other emergencies. But astronauts are not trained to deal with situations that result in certain death, because that would be a bit like training for what you might do if your car went over a cliff — in some situations there simply isn't anything you can do. One irony, though, is that NASA hadn't trained astronauts to deal with the sort of quadruple failure that occurred in Apollo 13, because they assumed that such a scenario would result in certain death. But the astronauts survived. TIME.com: What are the immediate implications for the space program of Saturday's disaster? JK: Following the precedent of the Challenger disaster in 1996, it's unlikely that NASA will undertake any further shuttle missions or any other manned space flights for the next two years. One immediate problem, though, is the International Space Station, which currently has a crew of three on board. They might consider one further flight to bring that crew home — the other option would be for them to return aboard a Russian Soyuz craft, which isn't the most comfortable or the safest ride. Beyond that, however, the space station is likely to be left unoccupied for a long time. NASA won't want to use the shuttle again until it can establish the cause of today's accident, and fix it. Now that we've lost two shuttles out of a fleet of five, it's even conceivable that the shuttle won't fly again. The shuttle was built as a space truck, and then the International Space Station was built to give it something to do. Both programs are likely to suffer as a result of this disaster. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Tyler McClelland Report post Posted February 1, 2003 Bush's speech: My fellow Americans, this day has brought terrible news and great sadness to our country. At 9 o'clock 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's lost. There are no survivors. Onboard was a crew of seven -- Colonel Rick Husband, Lieutenant 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 this service to all humanity. In an age when space flight has come to seem almost routine, it is easy to overlook the dangers of travel by rocket and the difficulties of navigating the fierce outer atmosphere of the earth. These astronauts knew the dangers, and they faced them willingly, knowing they had a high and noble purpose in life. Because of their courage and daring and idealism, we will miss them all the more. All Americans today are thinking, as well, of the families of these men and women who have been given this sudden shock and grief. You're not alone. Our entire nation grieves with you. And those you loved will always have the respect and gratitude of this country. The cause in which they died will continue. Mankind is led into the darkness beyond our world by the inspiration of discovery and the longing to understand. Our journey into space will go on. In the skies today, we saw destruction and tragedy. Yet farther than we can see, there is comfort and hope. In the words of the prophet Isaiah, "Lift your eyes and look to the heavens. Who created all these? He who brings out the starry hosts one by one and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing." The same creator who names the stars also knows the names of the seven souls we mourn today. The crew of the shuttle Columbia did not return safely to Earth, yet we can pray that all are safely home. May God bless the grieving families, and may God continue to bless America. I wonder if any of the families are Atheist. Heh. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest IDrinkRatsMilk Report post Posted February 1, 2003 What terrible news. I don't really have anything to add except that this is very sad. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
