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.

[Houmatt]

Dear God in Heaven...just stumbled on this almost a half hour ago.....prayers for the families of those aboard.

[Jim Noble]

Please read the rest of my post.

Now is not the time.

When the time comes, I expect our discussion here will be of very high quality. It isn't Jerry Springerish at all.

[brooklin]

All it had to do was knock off one tile.

[oceanperch]

I have e mailed my list of freinds to send prayer.

I worked and hung out at FR all night and was just getting ready to go to bed.

Just sad. I am sooo sorry to all the families and freinds.

How horrible. God Bless.

[July 4th]

with Richard Feynman's stature

How true. The o-ring in the glass of water was classic. If he were only around today.

[areafiftyone]

They said Debri was falling off the tank in the back. They are saying something about tiles falling off.

[opbuzz]

Many rocket fuels are toxic agents similar to nerve agents.

Don't touch any debris, call the authorities.

[Constitutional Patriot]

Our prayers are with them.

[IncPen]

Thanks for a poignant post.

[TheRightGuy]

If history is any guide, it will be years before we launch again, if ever

Are you suggesting we'll leave the current ISS occupants fend for themselves?

[Lazamataz]

But no shuttles will launch again until this mishap is understood. If history is any guide, it will be years before we launch again, if ever.

Dammit.

We should launch no matter how dangerous it is.

[csvset]

The left wing was damaged during launch by a piece of insulation foam that detached from the main fuel tank.

You have to wonder if the crew was instructed to do a space walk and do a damage assessment and send a video of the assessment back to Dallas. If this was done, you'd have to wonder what the results of any risk assessment were.

[Mr. Silverback]

None of the crew were "tourists". They were trained mission specialists carrying on experiments on board, IIRC there were over 80 separate experiments on this mission.

Yeah, heck, the mission specialist from Israel was a colonel in their Air Force.

[Diogenesis]

[SkyPilot]

Doc,

When I was at accident investigation school, I read an edited transcript that I was told was from the actual CVR tape of the Space Shuttle Challenger. It was chilling--they were alive after the explosion. The shuttle commander called for emergency checklists--the co-pilot explained that there was no orbiter to run the checklists on. Judith Resnik tried to comfort Christie McAllif--who then fainted. One of the crewmember then led them in the 23rd Psalm.

I believe the transcript was legitimate--because our instructor later told us how NASA had spent much time and $$$ researching an "escape" mechanism for the crew compartment--but all was abandoned because the solutions were not feasible due to weight and other restrictions.

I am not a shuttle expert by any means--so perhaps someone here knows more about it--but I do not believe an escape was possible for them.

[prisoner6]

the shuttle is an engineering marvel

Of it WAS for it's time AND NASA has done a credible job of updating. BUT we have much better capabilities now, especially in heat dispersion materials, electronics and - as far as I'm concerned - overall design. I never did fancy the idea of a "flying brick".

That said I have to admit with the record NASA has with the STS, I wouldn't be afraid to jump on board.prisoner6

[kcvl]

Thank you for that...they look so happy. God Bless Them ALL.

[engrpat]

I just checked the cams on the Weather Bug for the DFW area and they all seem to be working. This is so very sad. To think my wife and I were thrilled to watch it come overhead and to learn what happened.

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

That's freaky! First Israeli on board and it comes down near Palestine Texas, WOW. No tinfoil alert, you couldn't plan that.

Yes, and the Israeli was one of the pilots who bombed Iraq's nuclear reactor in 1981.

Saddam just lit a cigar!

[Constitution Day]

Everyone here at CPAC is in shock. Those still listening to the speakers may not even know yet.

May God be with their families.