Columbia Shuttle Falling

[Domon]

I still can't believe this, its like 9/11/01. Its like a horror movie but i can't wake up. Its just...Just wrong all wrong. This shouldn't have happened.

[Deedlit]

[color=009966]I'm watching it on CNN right now.

The strange thing is is that this morning when we were driving to church, I looked out the window and saw some black smoke in a thin line really high up in the sky. I know that it happened over Texas, but is it possible that we can see part of the damage all the way from Georgia? I just thought it was really wierd....[/color]

[Sara]

[size=1]One of the astronauts was from my city. She graduated from high school blocks away from where I grew up...[/size]

[Guest cloricus]

I stand corrected Jamez.

Domon, it was most likely nothing to do with the shuttle. Think of it this way.

They have to pilot that shuttle down from space, now from the small amount of telemetry available they where on a bit of an angle.
Once they have finished their re-entry burn they lose all engines apart from a small amount of manovering thrusters.
Basically they glide down to earth.
But say for example they were on a slight angle, they would have had to correct that and as one expert put it "Piloting those things during re-entry is like trying to fly a brick with wings".
Now if you have a flight sim there open it up go as high as you can and cut the engines and then try and land it with no power assist and any small mistake in angel destroys you.
So if they made a mistake during that time, even a small one it would have coursed what happened.
This sounds a lot more likely to be what happened than a few missing tiles in a place where it isn?t an essential part.

As for at what point they died it is unclear and they are not sure if they can ascertain the point of death.

[James]

[color=#507AAC]It sounds like it was indeed a problem with the shuttle, based on what NASA is now saying.

They believe that the explosion was due to massive and rapid changes in heat -- they've also commented that the heat of the atmosphere may have been able to penetrate the heat shield (probably due to the dislodging of one of the tiles at launch).

So, based on what NASA is saying already...that seems to have been the problem. Of course, Columbia was utilizing near-30-year-old technology. Budget cuts are largely the reason that Columbia (and other shuttles) were not updated with significant new technology.

It's not likely that a replacement will be produced, but rather, the next generation space vehicle is what will probably be the focus now (as well as making upgrades to current shuttles).[/color]

[NeoCactuar]

A few missing tiles would most defiantly cause the shuttle to explode, a tiny crack or chip in a tile can cause a shuttle to explode. Thats why after every flight they go over those tiles one by one with a microscope. If one of them was damaged by a falling piece of debris in take off, it may have damaged one of the tiles. NASA confirmed that a piece of debris did indeed fall off during take off, but they assumed it would be all right. Weather this was the cause or not, we don't know for sure.

As for when they died, it is almost certain that if the heat coating failed while they were entering the atmosphere that they wouldn't have suffered much. The temperature would have gone up in a matter of seconds, and incinerated them.

[Guest cloricus]

Neo, close but not right. There are points where the heat shield is deadly vital, and others where it is not needed at all. The part of the wing considered damaged was not thought to be one of these, though they only had sketchy info about it when they made that assumption.
Also they did not know that it had happened until two days after launch.
And in any event they had no way to repair it. (No EVA equipment with them) So even if it were known there would have been very little they could have done.

Jamez the Columbia had just come out of two major refits. It was fully updated a few years ago and then refurbished at the end of 1999.

[James]

[color=#507AAC]According to at least two astronauts, Cloricus, the Columbia wasn't updated enough.

It did receive major updates to navigation and instrumentation, but fundamentally, it's the same unit. And therein lies the problem.

I'm not exactly going to second guess those who have already travelled in the Columbia. ;)[/color]

[Guest cloricus]

Okay, what the hells the point of tragedy?s if after an extremely short time you can't laugh at them.

That is exactly what my uncle Frank does, in fact he writes jokes and in Princess Di's case a song.

As most Australians know we had spiders on the shuttle that where being experimented on. That?s mainly what the jokes about.

For the reason about I've got it in a spoiler so if you believe you will be offended do not read it. Though it has no rude words or implications it maybe offending to people that are emotional about the Columbia accident.
I believe it is under copyright to him so don't seal it and slap your name on it. LOL.

---
[spoiler]
Dateline Canberra-

Prime Minister Howard today announced a day of mourning following the loss of 8 patriotic Australian spiders aboard the space shuttle Columbia, after it disintegrated in suspicious circumstances during re-entry over Texas on Sunday morning. Howard was quoted as saying " This event, although tragic, will not sway our resolve as a great nation to continue developing our expertise as a world leader in arachnid space flight."

Dateline Washington-

The White House is refusing to confirm the existence of communications from an as yet unheard of Islamic fundamentalist group calling itself 'THE IRAQNIDS", claiming responsibility for the successful suicide attack on the space shuttle Columbia on Sunday morning.

Undisclosed sources close to the President have leaked a secret dossier claiming that a web of Iraqnid followers had infiltrated the Sydney school performing spider-in-space experiments aboard Columbia, and had included elements of its own into the pre flight training group.

In a statement to the media, FBI spokesman Floyd Mutrux said "There is no evidence at all to suggest that the destruction of Columbia was anything more than a tragic accident".

Mutrux would not be drawn to speculate on possible causes for the incident.

Mutrux declined to answer specific questions regarding recent FBI investigations into the group claiming responsibility for the attack.
He did however did say that one of the backup Australian spiders, Archie "legs" Mustafa, was a late inclusion in Columbia's science experiment payload, following the suspicious last minute disappearance of Phil "funnel" Webb, lead spider in the Australian science contingent

Mutrux would not be drawn on reports that Mustafa's late inclusion in the flight was anything more than 'routine procedure'

Investigations are continuing.
[/spoiler]
By Frank. C 2003

[James]

[color=#507AAC]Heh, the school was in Melbourne. :blah:[/color]

[Guest cloricus]

Really... *Points to Jamez - The guy that knows the useless facts!*
I'm not going to alter the joke though... hehehe.
So [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/images/smilies/ices_blah.gif[/img]