Bremma Posted February 1, 2003 Share Posted February 1, 2003 I'm watchign CNN right now and it appears that the Shuttle Columbia has broken apart on re-entry. Debris is faling over Texas. I hope the Astronauts are OK. Does anybody know more about this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cloricus Posted February 1, 2003 Share Posted February 1, 2003 Wow - Logs on to Cnn. [url]http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/02/01/shuttle.landing.ap/index.html[/url] [quote] Columbia was at an altitude of 200,700 feet over north-central Texas at a 9 a.m., traveling at 12,500 mph when mission control lost contact and tracking data. [/quote] Any one who's done basic physics should be able to work out the probability of a human body serving ejection at that speed. *Feels sorry for the families* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted February 1, 2003 Share Posted February 1, 2003 [color=#507AAC]I don't know if this shuttle has entirely broken up yet, if any of this video is live (there are certainly no reports of it breaking up entirely yet; just large chunks falling off). If it stays intact, it essentially becomes a large out-of-control missile. So it'll either break up somewhere over the ocean (hopefully), or someone may have to shoot it down to prevent it hitting a populated area. I [i]really[/i] hope it breaks up...[/color] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bremma Posted February 1, 2003 Author Share Posted February 1, 2003 Well, its over Texas right now.. People have caled in talkign about the fallen debris. I hope is breaks up too.. I just wonder how the Astronauts would fare if that happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cloricus Posted February 1, 2003 Share Posted February 1, 2003 Debris is falling over Texas. [img]http://i.cnn.net/cnn/2003/TECH/space/02/01/shuttle.columbia/top.shuttle.landing.jpg[/img] No offence to the crew but damn I hope that isn't in one peace when it hits the ground of there will be one big explosion... I wish ppls in Australia could get a 24/7 netcast of American News stations for free... [NO ONE SAY TERROISM] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted February 1, 2003 Share Posted February 1, 2003 [color=#507AAC]I'm watching Fox & Friends right now, as it's happening. Though they seem to be looping video... o_O;; I think that unfortunately the crew are probably gone. The various explosions were massive...and I don't think evacuation would be feasable during reentry (at that altitude). I just hope that no large pieces of debris (or the shuttle itself) hit populated areas and hurt people. :worried: [/color] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Posted February 1, 2003 Share Posted February 1, 2003 [b][color=003399]According to some reports over here the video is being looped over and over because the Space Shuttle has been lost. That is, camera crews and others are unable to catch sight of it, although I find it a little hard to believe. You can see that the video is looping, a black line appears over the debris at the exact same time frame continously.[/b][/color] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cloricus Posted February 1, 2003 Share Posted February 1, 2003 Officials said no tracking data were available. This according to other reports includes visual. It's gone. [Added] [img]http://i.cnn.net/cnn/2003/TECH/space/02/01/shuttle.columbia/top.close.landing.jpg[/img] Looks gone any way... [Added] [img]http://i.cnn.net/cnn/2003/TECH/space/02/01/shuttle.columbia/top.flash.jpg[/img] Finnal break up. --- [Added] On Jan. 16, shortly after Columbia lifted off, a piece of insulating foam on its external fuel tank came off and was believed to have struck the left wing of the shuttle. Leroy Cain, the lead flight director in Mission Control, assured reporters Friday that engineers had concluded that any damage to the wing was considered minor and posed no safety hazard. Gary Hunziker in Plano said he saw the shuttle flying overhead. "I could see two bright objects flying off each side of it," he told The Associated Press. "I just assumed they were chase jets." Just in the last week, NASA observed the anniversary of its only two other space tragedies, the Challenger explosion, which killed all seven astronauts on board, and Apollo space craft fire that killed three on Jan. 27, 1967. Just some stuff off cbs. The first paragraph is interesting. As for the last one, you think they are going to stop space flights during this week? [Added] [img]http://i.cnn.net/cnn/2003/TECH/space/02/01/shuttle.columbia/vert.breakup.photosseq.jpg[/img] Cnn is now saying the crew is lost. [Added] If any one wants a live stream chuck this in to i.e., [url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsa/n5ctrl/live/now2.ram[/url] At least England (bbc) gives us free coverage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Matt Posted February 1, 2003 Share Posted February 1, 2003 [color=red][b]Break up is confirmed. [url]http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/02/01/shuttle.columbia/index.html[/url] The astronauts had a means to escape, but they had to be at 100,000 or less feet in the air to do it. They lost contact at around 200,000 t. This doesn't look good at all.[/b][/color] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kent Posted February 1, 2003 Share Posted February 1, 2003 Yup, its obvious. Terrorist with a really big trampolin got up to 207,000 feet and cut the communications lines right before they rigged dynamite to the shuttles main hull. Yup, thats what it is... Im just kidding of course. I however and quite unhappy about this for many reasons: loss of human life is the first reason that this is bad, but its also horrible that there was an isreali on the shuttle. I hope that this can become a situation of damage control because at this point based on the video footage I've been watching I would say that the astronauts are dead.(unfortunatly) So now we have to worry about keeping this stuff from raining down on all the civilian population. And "luckily" I think that the entire craft will be destroyed by the time it gets to the ground. Im hearing now that the shuttle was going 12,500 mph, and people all over texas are reporting hearing a huge bang. This isnt looking good... Ok, early speculation is leading to 2 possible causes... 1. the delay for the original date of launch in july 2002 was a problem with oxegen line leaks. 2. damage suffered to the wing from foam that was "spit" out of the boosters on launch. In space the engineers inspected the damage and thought is was not anything to worry about. Either way, its most likely over for those people. I guess this is where some of us pray for those unlucky souls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostProphet Posted February 1, 2003 Share Posted February 1, 2003 I heard it The thing is falling apart in my area. SE of here, to be exact. The boom went off and I saw it all. Vegitto4 is in my area too, but dont expect much from him. Pieces are landing in Nacgodoches (?sp) and east, so its....going all to hell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Posted February 1, 2003 Share Posted February 1, 2003 [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by James [/i] [B][color=#507AAC] I think that unfortunately the crew are probably gone. The various explosions were massive...and I don't think evacuation would be feasable during reentry (at that altitude). I just hope that no large pieces of debris (or the shuttle itself) hit populated areas and hurt people. :worried: [/color] [/B][/QUOTE] Goint Mac6 pretty much shatters any hope of ejecting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJ Posted February 1, 2003 Share Posted February 1, 2003 The whole thing i belive has exploded. This isn't something that surprizes me because its an old ship and with the layers of the world being destroyed they may have missed something that needed to be done. But thats just my theroy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stitch Posted February 1, 2003 Share Posted February 1, 2003 if thoses ppl DO perhaps survive well i'll be really surprised i just don't think it is possible to survie anything like that :P i feel sick to my sromach thinking about whut they had to go through or ARE going through its really such a sin i hope nothing bad happens though. i especally hope no debris has fallen into populated areas though the odds seem preety unlikely :'( Stitch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juu Posted February 1, 2003 Share Posted February 1, 2003 [color=ff00cc] [size=1]Yikes >< I saw it on the news as soon as I woke up. My dad had the news on, so that's basically the first thing I saw on New Year's... u.u I hope the people there won't get hit by the debris. Especially my friends there. ><; I guess they won't be showing any pictures of Chinese New Year soon... The celebration probably won't be as cheerful, either. ><[/color] [/size] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhys Mayiessen Posted February 1, 2003 Share Posted February 1, 2003 [color=navy]Yeah I was watching this as well. They showed a picture of one of the debris they have found but it is pretty small and it looks as though it landed in a parking lot. There were no cars in it though. That is basically all I saw of the debris though I have seen the shuttle coming down so many times that I don't want to see it anymore.[/color] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genkai Posted February 1, 2003 Share Posted February 1, 2003 Hmm... I bet most of what I would have to say has already been said, but... I really dout it's terrorism, so no one say it... -_- Anyway, it's been on the news all morning.... Apparently, Israel's 1st and on,ly astronaut was on there, and there were 7 of them n the thingy altogether... Well, as I said, whatever else I have to say has been said... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GinnyLyn Posted February 1, 2003 Share Posted February 1, 2003 [color=royal blue]Texan here, just in case you all didn't know. I remember waking up suddenly about 8:something this morning. My dog was freaking out. I kinda went back to sleep after calming him, so imagine my shock when I heard about this around 10am this morning. The news stations here are going crazy over it. Mostly the people in Nagadoches (sp?). There have already been bystanders sent to the hospital because they were picking up debris, and the stuff apparentally has some toxic material on it. So, for the most part, it's all about picking up debris here in NE Texas. There are a few theories about what happened, all mechanical failure of some sort (terrorism has been ruled out for the most part here); the strongest thought is that the shuttle was not positioned correctly or making incorrect flying manuevuers when it was coming in for its sudden landing. As a result, the heat resistant panels were not in the position they should have been, and... *says a silent prayer for the families*[/color] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solo Tremaine Posted February 1, 2003 Share Posted February 1, 2003 The toxic material's the rocket fuel. It's highly poisonous. I heard about it while getting my lunch. It's terrible. It must be awful to be trapped inside and knowing you're not going to survive (assuming they were conscious for that long after the initial problem). It's possible it was the heat shield failing. Tiles are notorious for coming off during re-entry. Maybe one too many came off that time... I don't think we'll know for sure for a few days yet. It is very shocking, though. My heart goes out to all the families they left behind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted February 1, 2003 Share Posted February 1, 2003 [color=#507AAC]They said that several tiles were knocked loose during the approach to space, but they were fixed by one of the astronauts. So, perhaps they weren't fixed properly and were torn off during re-entry...[/color] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeathKnight Posted February 1, 2003 Share Posted February 1, 2003 [color=crimson]Well. This is science, so it should be expected that something like this could happen. Nothing is perfect, after all.[/color] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted February 1, 2003 Share Posted February 1, 2003 [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by DeathKnight [/i] [B][color=crimson] Nothing is perfect, after all.[/color] [/B][/QUOTE] [color=#507AAC]That's true. There's always room for human error in anything. Still, this particular disaster and loss of life was pretty horrible. It's sad to think that this may set back the space program, too...[/color] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cloricus Posted February 1, 2003 Share Posted February 1, 2003 [quote]So, perhaps they weren't fixed properly and were torn off during re-entry...[/quote] BBC talked the allot of expert and nasa people last night and they allot said that its very common to lose heat shield tiles and that it is not a fatal and would probably not have coursed this. [quote] Still, this particular disaster and loss of life was pretty horrible. It's sad to think that this may set back the space program, too...[/quote] I hope not, there are still humans up on the iss. Though on TV they said their launching a shuttle (Of some sort, robotic/manned?) to resupply the space station for a long term up there. Last night they kept saying "Texans do not go near the debris, they maybe toxic" this morning I turn on and see "Texans taken to hospital because they came in contact with debris." Mkay... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostProphet Posted February 1, 2003 Share Posted February 1, 2003 Ginny, what part of Texas? I'm in Plano, and it started right over my head. Boom woke me up, if thats any type of indication. Terrorism...bah. No Stinger is gonna hit 207K feet. SAMs are about the only thing, and you WILL see that if it rears its ugly head. Terrorism should be ruled out easily. Also, there were no space walks during this mission, so it would be hard (actually, impossible) to fix the tiles while they were in space. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GinnyLyn Posted February 1, 2003 Share Posted February 1, 2003 [color=royal blue]I'm about 1/2 an hour from you, the Rowlett/Rockwall area. That might have been what woke me up this morning, but I live awfully far away, don't I?[/color] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now