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.

[The South Park Republican]

I am of the opinion that exposing them for the dispicable people they are is a good thing for us.

But I understand and respect your opinion.

[mhking]

Oh, my God. I've been away from the radio and everything else. This is awful.

[Don Munn]

Ivan

They reported on CNN that each shuttle had a flight life of 100 missions.

[bonesmccoy]

I don't think the CRV would have been capable of addressing the situation. The nation has never really had a rescue capability for space missions. The only time we had a crew rescue contemplated was during Skylab and a command module was actually created with four seats (one pilot and 3 down from the station).

[exhaustedmomma]

Just talked to my brother-in-law who lives in Livingston, Texas. He said he was out in his front yard with his grandson watching the shuttle fly over. He saw the explosion... he is freaking!! He swears there was a plane in the air, too. Is that possible? It isn't too far from Houston International, so I suppose it is nothing.

[ppaul]

We shall soon be seeing THIS in the middle east...

[valleygal]

I've been hearing this story about insulation for a while - can any find a story??? I'm having no luck.

Someone may have posted this already, but here's what I found.

"On launch day, a piece of insulating foam on the external fueltank came off during liftoff and was believed to have struck theleft wing of the shuttle.

Leroy Cain, the lead flight director in Mission Control, had assured reporters Friday that engineers had concluded that anydamage to the wing was considered minor and posed no safety hazard."

Link to article

I hope I did this right. I'm still learning computer. :)

[ez]

What the hell is going on? I just logged onto FR. Can someone summarize what's happening?????

Shuttle Columbia broke up on reentry over TX. There is word that a piece flew off during launch and may have damaged the forward surface of the wing.

[JohnHuang2]

Shuttle, crew lost

By Irene Brown
UPI Science News
From the Science & Technology Desk
Published 2/1/2003 10:18 AM
View printer-friendly version

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Feb. 1 (UPI) -- Space shuttle Columbia and its seven-member crew, including Israel's first astronaut Ilan Ramon, were lost upon return to Earth Saturday following a 16-day space research mission.

Observers in Houston who could see the shuttle as it flew overhead enroute to the Kennedy Space Center in Houston reported debris falling from the sky.

"It looked just like the Mir breakup," said Stephen Clark, a contributor to spaceflightnow.com.

Ground control teams in Houston lost tracking and radio contact with the shuttle at 9 a.m. ET.

"Contingency procedures are in effect," said commentator James Hartsfield.

Under tight security, shuttle Columbia lifted off on Jan. 16. In addition to Ramon, the crew included commander Rick Husband, pilot Willie McCool, flight engineer Kalpana Chawla, payload commander Michael Anderson and astronauts David Brown and Laurel Clark.

Rescue teams have been alerted in the central Houston area and residents have been warned not to touch any debris, which could contain toxic substances. President George W. Bush was being briefed at the presidential retreat in Camp David, Md., and was preparing to convene domestic and military committees that may be involved in the shuttle emergency.

The mission was the first of six planned for this year, with the remainder of the flights devoted to space station assembly.

The loss of the shuttle and the crew comes 17 years after the Challenger accident, which claimed the lives of seven astronauts, including teacher in space Christa McAuliffe. The woman who trained alongside McAuliffe and served as her backup was to fly on Columbia's next mission this November.

There has been no determination what caused Columbia to fall from the sky.

Copyright © 2001-2003 United Press International
 
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[Normal4me]

I worked as a mechanical tech for Morton Thiokol in 1987 (post challenger) and spent my last days there working with the External tank crew. The insulation on the tank is very similar to the expandable foam that you can buy at a builders center. It is sprayed on the surface and is VERY sticky. I find it hard to believe that it could "fall off" the tank.

More than likely it may have been a piece of ice caused by the loading of liquid oxygen through the "beanie" at the top of the external tank.

It is obviously a break up of the air frame (ie structural failure) but until they locate and examine the debris, no one will know what happened.

~nomad

[don-o]

That copy of a DU post was SICK!!! Let's hope that someone at DU has the intestinal fortitude to ban that idiot.

Let's not drag anymore DU spew on this thread.

Please start one, if that is your interest.

[SteamShovel]

I sit in stunned silence thinking about this. These type of things happen and seem to come out of nowhere to blind side us. May God Bless the Astronaut's Souls

I can't help but notice that Bush's parallels with Reagan are becoming spookier by the day. Now we add a Shuttle Tradgedy and the parallels become VERY noticeable.

[Catspaw]

First reports were that NASA had lost contact with Space Shuttle Columbia. Next they reported that Columbia was overdue. Next we heard reports that there were sounds of an explosion north of Dallas, Texas. After that, we saw video of the Columbia, on reentry, exploding and breaking up in the Dallas, Texas area.

[Rightly Biased]

The shuttle crashed rin it blew up over Dallas and parts seem to be scatterd from Texas,to Louisana that about sums it up

Regards
RB

[Arkinsaw]

I am of the opinion that exposing them for the dispicable people they are is a good thing for us.

Yes, but not on this thread. I'm finding it hard to take on this thread.

[mikegi]

excuse me, I was just repeating what a witness said on cnn. don't jump at me OK.

Sorry about that. I was just getting frustrated with the talk about terrorism both on the news and in this thread.

[July 4th]

As soon as one piece falls off of the shuttle, who knows what it was connected to. The comm equipment may have been the first to go, and any patch antennas, etc. would have been the first things to get stripped off. No radio contact seems logical.

Note to all: Many shuttle comms after re-entry are on open air frequencies. There may be stuff out there that people have recorded off of scanners.

[nightowl]

You said you heard something that sounded like a sonic boom in Dallas. I just spoke with my sister and she said she heard a sonic boom as well & we are 130 miles east of Dallas. That was a terrible impact if it was heard this far. We are about 100 miles west of Palistine, Tx. Drudge reported that it was traveling at a speed of 12,500 mph. The President is returning to the White House from Camp David about noon EST.

[demlosers]

Du people are demented!