Shuttle Contact LOST-No Tracking Data During RE-Entry!

Nasa TV | 02/01/03 | GRRRR

[GRRRRR]

Shuttle has NOT been heard from or seen on tracking radar since 0800Hrs CDT. No contact at Merrit Island tracking station, no voice comm...DEVELOPING.

[GRRRRR]

Monitoring NASA TV at 0816 CDT...no radar or voice com still...they should be over FLA at this time as landing was planned for right now...

[Maedhros]

Don't they always lose contact during re-entry for a couple of minutes? This seems like a long time though.

[Catspaw]

They haven't touched down. They should've 2 1/2 minutes ago. PRAY.

[Lazamataz]

OH SH*T!!!!

[DoctorMichael]

No tracking data?!

[Lazamataz]

OH SH*T!!!!

[GRRRRR]

That time expired several minutes ago, Flight controllers being told to follow contingency procedures. AOS acquisition of signal should have already been received. Shuttle should have landed 2.5 minutes ago. NO C-Band tracking data has been received...all operators are now saving all data and log books...

[mombonn]

Praying, praying, praying!

[anniegetyourgun]

Last AP report filed 8:20 am EST.

[Petronski]

Pray!

[DoctorMichael]

Last seen over Dallas.

[mombonn]

This is NOT the time for jokes.

[mewzilla]

I was watching when the Challenger crashed. All I can think is please God, not another accident.

[Lazamataz]

Declaring 'continuancy', all data to be preserved. Only 190 miles away when lost!

[Bahbah]

This is not good. Praying also.

[Possenti]

Reports on CBS that witnesses have spotted "debris."

Where? They did not say...

[bonesmccoy]

Not a time for jokes...this is serious.

[GRRRRR]

Flight Director Leroy Cane(sp?)...directing all controllers to save data. Last contact at 0800, 27000feet, 1200mph...Flight Dynamics officer reporting NO OBJECTS were tracked...

Does this mean no debris found?

[Lazamataz]

4 minutes overdue for landing, 21 minutes out of communication!

[Catspaw]

So was I. And I'm getting that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

[mombonn]

I'm remembering that day, too. I'm really uneasy right now.

[Catspaw]

They don't know where it is.

[Thane_Banquo]

Foxnews commentator saying shuttle should be on the ground by now.

Israeli astronaut on board.

[bonesmccoy]

It means that they have no downlink...the data is transmitted from antennas on the spacecraft... if no downlink is occuring, they've lost the vehicle.

The vehicle may have broken up (my assessment).

[DoctorMichael]

"None of the usual sonic booms were heard".

[Lazamataz]

I was watching when the Challenger crashed. All I can think is please God, not another accident.

We may have lost our second shuttle.... :o(

[linear]

I am not lying about this. I live in Dallas. Right at the time it disappeared, we heard a large boom.

[GRRRRR]

On CBS now..not on NBC or ABC....22 minutes past with NO CONTACT. Lack of comm for this long is definately bad. It has to be down somewhere...

[Rain-maker]

Over 6 minutes late now, suppose to be touch down at 9:16am.

this sucks!

[ResistorSister]

NASA lost communication at 8:00 a.m.

[Petronski]

This feels EXACTLY like that dreadful January lunchtime when the Challenger was lost.

[bonesmccoy]

this is very bad news.... hopefully the guys are still alive... if they have been able to get out, they have a chance for survival because they have parachutes...unlike during 51-L.

They need to find the debris and the guys.

[Lazamataz]

Prepare for a really bad day today. :o(

[SunTzuWu]

This is not good. At this point it has to be on the ground, one way or another. My prayers are going out to the families.

[Merovingian]

Not on radar, all radio/other communications are gone...

No objects on radar...

207,000 feet above Texas when they lost contact..
12,500 mph at the time

[ThinkingMan]

this does not sound good- fearing the worst

[linear]

About 10 minutes later, a large number of sirens (firetrucks, etc.) headed south...

[Lion's Cub]

What could have happened??????

[The South Park Republican]

Now it's on the broadcast news...This aint good.

[Indiana Jones]

Just after 8 AM here in Dallas, we were startled by what sounded like a sonic boom...maybe it wasn't anything but our dog went crazy and the windows shook. God be with them and with us all.

[AStack75]

Damn

[Judith Anne]

God be with them, let the astronauts be safe...

[Lazamataz]

this is very bad news.... hopefully the guys are still alive... if they have been able to get out, they have a chance for survival because they have parachutes...unlike during 51-L. They need to find the debris and the guys.

Unless they burned up during reentry.

[lavaroise]

hmmm... the Palestinians must be leaking their chops. There is an Israeli-US team on board...

[Bahbah]

Oh no.

[July 4th]

Not good...major prayers right now.

[Catspaw]

The first Israeli astronaut is aboard. Security was VERY tight for the launch.

Dear God in Heaven.

[The South Park Republican]

hmmm... the Palestinians must be leaking their chops. There is an Israeli-US team on board...

Please...