Debris Photos (GRAPHIC)

Yahoo News photos ^ | 2/2/03 | freepers

[yoe]

Mark, these pictures may prove invaluable at some point in time, as evidence often gets lost in transit. The fact that some materials made it through re-entry and other stuff didn’t will be of great help in designing future shuttles. Thanks. yoe

[celtic gal]

These pictures are indeed sobering. It causes me to wonder if the crew, doing what they needed to do in preperation for landing, had some awareness of the dire and fatal situation in which they were. If they did, I can only imagine the courage of those people had in the face of this most awful fear.

The maps of Texas which show the locations of found debris helps us understand how far the Columbia fell. And with the exception of the apt that burned yesterday, it is a blessing from God that people on the ground were not injured and that there was not horrific damage done to property.

There is a lot to be learned from this event and I agree with the poster who suggested that these photos are going to be useful to that end.

[gitmo]

This thread is newsworthy. I've seed TV shots of debris, but failed to understand the magnitude of what has rained down upon Texas. It is amazing how many pieces have fallen and in recognizable form, too. I think the people of Texas should be praised for responding to this situation. They are locating and marking the debris, and I'm sure their diligence will be invaluable in aiding the feds in the unbelievable task before them.

[amom]

though the DARK areas are interesting.

Yes they are.

[XBob]

"The poisons will be contained with some cells and may not have leaked out until the debris has significantly slow down (no longer at "burn" kinds of speeds. "

or in tanks like that shown in #214.

[not-an-ostrich]

Whoops, somebody moved Dallas-Ft Worth in this weather image shot.

[XBob]

that is definitely a 'tile' probably from underside of the wing

[ncpastor]

Good job, Mark. Painful to view but I think it helps grasp the reality of what happened, and ALL evidence will be helpful in putting the pieces together.

[amom]

William Orr, center, and members of a search and rescue team look for debris from space shuttle Columbia in a wooded areal near San Augustine, Texas, Sunday, Feb. 2, 2003. Authorities used horses and satellite gear Sunday to search for more scorched pieces of space shuttle Columbia across the Texas and Louisiana countryside. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/030202/168/36her.html

[freepersup]

By all means any one of the multiple causes stated, could be the culprit. I re-read my post and I may have given the impression that I was proferring a root cause. Good catch-

What caused the shuttle to be out of position for re-entry is the six million dollar question.

The video shows the shuttle still intact for the most part, and I think that is what is so compelling.

It is a fatal position, and doomed by virtue of this fact.

The indication of rising temperatures and subsequent loss of sensors may have been linked to tile damage, or due to fatal re-entry position (sideways). Or as you posted, a number of other reasons...

[amom]

Members of the FBI (news - web sites) evidence recovery team start a search in the woods near Hemphill, Texas on February 2, 2003. Authorities are still searching for debris from the Space Shuttle Columbia after in broke apart during reentry February 1. (Jeff Mitchell/Reuters)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/030202/161/36hdy.html

[amom]

Gary Byley talks about debris from the Columbia space shuttle that hit close to his home near San Augustine, Texas, Sunday, Feb. 2, 2003. Byley said he set up to U.S. flag next to the debris as a memorial. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/030202/168/36gqt.html

[amom]

A small United States flag sits by a piece of suspected debris from the space shuttle Columbia as a vehicle drives by, Sunday Feb . 2, 2003, along State Road 155 near Palestine, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/030202/168/36gdv.html

[deport]

Whoops, somebody moved Dallas-Ft Worth in this weather image shot.

---

Ya reckon? How about that being Shreveport, La where the radar site was located that this image is taken from.

[XBob]

#214 is a tank, possibly even one of the 'poison' tanks. ball shaped tanks were chosen for maximum strength and minimum weight, and basically made like wrapping fiberglass tape around a baloon. very light and very strong.

[amom]

Debris from the Columbia space shuttle lies in a parking lot in downtown Nacogdoches, Texas, Sunday, Feb. 2, 2003. (AP Photo/Donna McWilliam)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/030202/168/36eds.html

[amom]

A U.S. flag and cross are part of a makeshift memorial near a piece of debris from the Columbia space shuttle in downtown Nacogdoches, Texas, Sunday, Feb. 2, 2003. The Columbia broke up over North Texas Saturday killing the seven crew members. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/030202/168/36e2x.html

[Thud]

If the Fox clip does show a 90 degree yaw, IMO much will depend on which came first, the yaw or the lost left wing sensor readings. The yaw would explain the sensor readings if the yaw came first. The sensor readings might explain the yaw - the yaw might have been a result of lost control due to a burn-through.

[amom]

A makeshift memorial lies on the ground in a parking lot, February 2, 2003 where a piece of the space shuttle Columbia fell

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/030202/170/36e1m.html

[XBob]

276 - It looks like a giant ball of string.

it's a tank.