Columbia Discussion thread

Feb 1, 2003

[Admin Moderator]

'

On behalf of posters on Free Republic, I post this with deepest sympathy for the crew and their families.

Mission - sts107

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This is a continuation of the original thread.

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

ANY DU LINKS OR POSTS WILL BE REMOVED IMMEDIATELY. Keep them on the original thread.

[don-o]

Who was capcom?

I do not know.

But, in those minutes, a man next to him was just sitting there, motionless, with his head bowed over his keyboard.

My thought was, "That man is praying."

[CyberAnt]

FOX is saying NO! And, at that point in re-entry - there is no communication - it has something to do with the band of air around the earth which the shuttle must go through in order to re-enter the earth's atmosphere. This time of the flight is silent and is computer controlled. Pilot doesn't take over until much later in flight.

[mhking]

This is completely out of line, given the gravity and magnitude of this tragedy. Please refrain from posting this thoughtless drivel today.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Shep on Fox News just apologized for the report on the mistakes previously made by a crew member. He said it was totally inappropriate. He must have received a heck of a lot of emails, IMHO.

[AshleyMontagu]

To the memory hole.

[ChinaGotTheGoodsOnClinton]

That is my feeling also.

How do they know that terrorism is not involved before any data is in?

[NonValueAdded]

Shep apologised about mentioning the mistake by a mission specialist on a prior mission. Enough said.

[Darlin']

"Flag is at half staff at the White House. The President will speak to the nation but a time is not known, per NBC news right now."

My flag is now at half staff, too. I doubt the President will say anything until after the NASA briefing.

[Positive]

Shep Smith of FoxNews - just appologized for reading a report of one of the astronauts having made some sort of "mistake" on a previous mission.

He said he read the report on the air the first time he saw it and so viewers were hearing it at the same time he was hearing it.

He then said that was inappropiate and that the crew are all heros.

[Dog]

Doc don't watch that stuff....it's not good for your blood pressure...

[bonesmccoy]

Titanium is the element of choice for the structural materials. It's light and strong.

[Redleg Duke]

Yeah, now the politicians will be ducking for cover!

[dighton]

IMO, your post (#348) is totally inappropriate to this thread.

Agreed.

[hole_n_one]

The flag flies at half-staff above the White House in Washington Saturday, Feb. 1. 2003. The space shuttle Columbia broke up in flames over Texas killing all seven crew members aboard. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

[Ichneumon]

I highly doubt a tire explosion could rip a hole in the shuttle.

I don't think that was the point. The point was that a sudden overpressure in the tire would indicate a burn-through failure at a particular place in the Shuttle, pointing to a likely spot to investigate for the original failure point. It would be a clue, not a cause of the break-up.

[RightWhale]

how long the ISS can last in a decaying orbit without getting a boost from a Shuttle?

The Russian supply modules provide not only station supplies but the orbital correction motor.

[CyberAnt]

Somebody previously mentioned that those who worked on that part of shuttle are probably already being sorted through by the FBI or some segment of Homeland Security to see if there is anyone who would have had any ulterior motive to damage the flight.

[NonValueAdded]

Expect to head a lot from Conyers - he hates NASA.

[Yaelle]

Is the huge contrail we are seeing in So. CA from the shuttle? KFI radio says it is. Why is it over our sky, or did it blow up this way?