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.

[bonesmccoy]

There was NO CVR on STS-51-L.

The tape played was from an onboard system that recorded until 73 sec. into flight.

The transcript was obtained after recovery of the crew system several months/weeks after the accident.

[Valin]

This very likely marks the end of the Shuttle program and certainly will ground US manned space for the next several years. Spacestation construction is done, and without yet another expensive redesign, likely signals the end of further work on that program as well.


I hope you are wrong.

[Luis Gonzalez]

We pray for one last landing
On the globe that gave us birth;
Let us rest our eyes on the friendly skies
And the cool, green hills of Earth.

[Merovingian]

It's called 'stirring the pot'..certain here are very good at this..ignore them...

[mewzilla]

Jay Barbree onj NBC is reporting that some of the sensors went out just before the loss of contact. The shuttle's festooned with the things, so knowing what sensors went first might be very helpful in determining what happened if not why it happened.

[Republic of Texas]

Debris reported in E. Texas, no pics yet.

[operation clinton cleanup]

Shuttle Tragedy: How Fortunate For Bush
Now he can get on camera with a tearful and heartfelt message about how they were brave heroes who "touched the face of god" (or some other Reaganesque drivel written for him) and lo-and-behold... ALL AMERICA WILL ADORE BUSH AGAIN.
How fortunate that he gets to rally America for yet another tragedy that occured under his watch.

He'll get to play the comforting and wise father-figure. (I think I'm going to be sick!)

-- Allen

"Oh my gay stars!" -- Queer Duck

[piasa]

Well, for those idiots at DU who said this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/duforum/DCForumID60/32783.html

"Now he can get on camera with a tearful and heartfelt message about how they were brave heroes who "touched the face of god" (or some other Reaganesque drivel written for him) and lo-and-behold... ALL AMERICA WILL ADORE BUSH AGAIN.

... I hate to inform them that the "Reaganesque drivel" to which they so callously refer... was actually written by John Magee, a man of far higgher quality than the folks at DU:

(snip)In December 1941, Pilot Officer John Magee, a 19 year old American serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force in England, was killed when his Spitfire collided with another aircraft inside a cloud. Several months before his death, he composed his immortal sonnet "High Flight", a copy of which he fortunately mailed to his parents in the United States.(/snip)

Perhaps after this chastening, our "friends" at DU can grow up a little, and show some respect for those who have just left this life, and for the families of the crew.

[Movemout]

"I didn't read what you were replying to, but I will comment that this statement seems arogant and not really appropriate for this open discussion board. "

Try reading before you reply. I am trying to keep some semblance of sanity on this board by debunking some of the uninformed commentary. If it comes across as arrogant I apologise.

[SouthernFreebird]

(I think I'm going to be sick!)

Going to be?.... He's already a sick f**k

[theFIRMbss]

>It's just a darn shame that the US taxpayers wouldn't spring for the CRV [Crew Rescue Vehicle].

There's a difference
between the US people
and NASA big-wigs.

The heart and spirit
of "normal" men and women
doesn't translate well

to suits, bureaucrats,
and corporate-climber types.
Don't blame the people.

[af_vet_rr]

It's time to really move on a replacement for the Shuttle. It's served us well for 20 years but it's time to bring on a new generation of space craft. Perhaps this disaster can be turned toward a positive end. God bless the brave crew and their families.

Rather than create a bunch of memorials (I'm sure that will happen) they could honor the memories of those who died by building a much better, safer fleet of spacecraft. When you think about how far back the Shuttles actually go and when they were designed, and look at how far we've come today, we could do much better (perhaps split up manned vehicles from cargo vehicles as somebody said) They could even name one for each of the astronauts. I hope that this isn't the end of our space fleet, and I'm sure those astronauts would not want it ended in their names and memories. This should be turned towards a positive end.

[rs79bm]

The only hope is the search and rescue teams. It appears the shuttle or it's payload suffered the worst.

[bonesmccoy]

Sorry to burst your bubble, but it is not likely that the STS-51-L crew died at the time of the "explosion".

Technically, the shuttle broke up from excessive aerodynamic forces, which appears to be similar to the video we saw today (break up of the vehicle and tumbling).

The official NASA report could not identify the cause of death of the crew (it was relevant to the design of the crew escape system).

[July 4th]

Maca-something Texas public info. officer is on CNN. Debris has landed in the town. No damage or injuries on the ground as of yet.

[sinkspur]

However, we must still be vigilant. Who knows what will be buried this weekend because of this.

By whom?

This is an idiotic comment, but not unexpected from you.

[The South Park Republican]

While I regret and have removed my earlier post, do you now see how I could have anticipated such reaction from extreme leftists?

There's a HUGE difference between someone like Daschle and the idiots on DUhhh. Just like there are HUGE differences between President Bush and a number of the black helicopter "Nuke Mecca" idiots here.

[Servant of the Nine]

It's just a darn shame that the US taxpayers wouldn't spring for the CRV [Crew Rescue Vehicle].

The CRV should have been built, but it was a desperation device, in case the station was on fire or in iminent danger of explosion. No one would have ordered the crew to use them as long as a single shuttle or Soyez vehicle in working order existed. They will continue to fly shuttles to the Space Station. These things happen.

So9

[mewzilla]

How the heck could the WH rule that out so fast? I mean, I saw a story llast week about illegal aliens working on a naval warship. Even if the WH knows what happened to the shuttle, they can't say why yet. Can they?

[Lazamataz]

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

Was this previously reported? or just now being speculated?

The flight director commented that this happened and there was no danger to the crew a few days back.

I am, like all others here, struck with sadness and sickness over this. Willie McCool was in my company at the Naval Academy. This very likely marks the end of the Shuttle program and certainly will ground US manned space for the next several years. Spacestation construction is done, and without yet another expensive redesign, likely signals the end of further work on that program as well.

Yup. And that totally sucks. People and nations should be allowed to take risks, and those astronauts willing to take the risks should be allowed to do so.

Explorers die in great numbers throughout history. Thousands have died getting to America, colonizing the west, and so on. Explorers die. That's what they do.

For those of us who have worked in the space business, for those who know any of the crew members, fellow astronauts, or their friends and families, and for anyone who has ever been inspired by the US manned space program, this is a terrible day. I can only hope we have the national fortitude to recover from this and develop a follow on program that will be properly funded and maintained to provide safe access to space in the future.

I cannot disagree with any of this.