[bonesmccoy]

I was thinking the same thing... but the question is what the inciting cause was.

Obviously the vehicle broke up... the entire space shuttle system is now down.

Who is the crew up on the space station?

They may need to bring the crew down via Soyuz.

[prisoner6]

They may need to bring the crew down via Soyuz.

Without a doubt. The US needs a shuttle replacement. Something more than a "flying brick" and with mcuh updated electronics and computer systems.

As an aside I checked in at the radio stations whee I work. NO ONE THERE HAD A CLUE AS TO WHAT HAPPENED! They were busy watching the weather channel! No call from teh PD, or station manager or anyoe except me! AND THAT WAS a half hour after contact with the chuttle was lost.

I only checked in because I live only a couple opf miles from teh station and might have to report.

As it is nwo I can gather info at home and pass it along.

prisoner6

[snopercod]

The Columbia is not set up to reach the ISS - mainly because it is too heavy. The other three orbiters are the ISS ferry-ships.

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.

This was one of the reasons I left KSC 3 years ago. They couldn't pay me enough to have to go through this again.