Space Shuttle....????

[saabcaptain]

The loss of the Challenger was the childhood moment I became intrested in the space program and aviation. I became obsessed with the program and consider myself an amateur space buff complete with FlightSaftey like posters of the shuttle cockpits etc. I went on to follow my dream and now sit left seat at a commuter airline.

The bravery of the men and women that ride the shuttle into space and back again is little understood as we Americans become conditioned to amazing things. These individuals are the very best of us and set an example for me and for all of us of what we can achieve when we decide that we can truly do the impossible.

May God Bless their souls. Support your Space Program.

 

[Hippie]

From multiple news sources…

“Debris scattered over a very wide area”

“NOAA is still tracking debris visible to high altitude WX radar, will take hours to reach surface”

“Several fires reported on ground, houses and one apartment complex along the route of flight for orbiter”

“One injury reported near a small town east of Dallas, possibly unrelated”

“Prez on the way back to the WH”

“NASA News conference scheduled for 11:30 EST

“Flags now at half mast at the Cape”

“They are gone”


If you really want to send your blood pressure thru the roof, check out the web feed for Al Jazzera Arabic news channel.

Hippie

 

[SpeedBird]

On January 28th, the anniversary of the Challenger accident, I was watching the NASA channel and the program had a tribute for the crew.

It was mentioned that since that accident, a family from north central Texas has sent a bouquet of roses to NASA mission control headquarters on every shuttle flight. Each bouquet had one white rose to represent the lost crew members of the Challenger, and a specific number of red roses to represent each of the crew members of the current flight.

I thought about that as the events of this morning unfolded and wondered at the many ironies in that story.

God bless the crew of STS107 and our nation.

 

[Hippie]

http://sirocco.accuweather.com/nxss_r1_h_500x620d/r1h/inxr1kshvs_h.gif




Link to WX radar out of Shreveport, shows a high alt debirs field.



One can only hope now that their passing was mercifully fast.

 

[Hippie]

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/radar/images/DS.p19r0/SI.kshv/latest.gif

 

[Hippie]

http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20030201/capt.1044116699.topix_space_shuttle_ksc111.jpg

 

[Hippie]

From NASA via, CNN

Now believe that shuttle began to break up over New Mexico, NOT Texas.

Small pieces of debris are confirmed on the ground in NM.

National Guard is being requested to secure debris sites.

 

[wingnutt]

hang on guys! i know it looks bleak, but lets not write these guys off until theres some confirmation. sometimes, ya just never know...

 

[NEDude]

Authorities in Jasper, TX are reporting remains of some of the astronauts have been located. Details are still sketchy.

 

[ceo_of_the_sofa]

how are SS's ELTs and data recorders? think they'll survive?

 

[wingnutt]

Authorities in Jasper, TX are reporting remains of some of the astronauts have been located. Details are still sketchy.

hmm, thats funny. im in dallas, and no mention of that here

 

[NEDude]

The stuff about Astronaut remains was reported on MSNBC TV about 12:50pm

Many news crews are reporting several false items. I have heard several times that in 42 years of spaceflight, this is the first tragedy involving re-entry and landing. WRONG. The Soviet Union lost Cosmonauts twice on re-entry. Soyuz 1 had a parachute failure and killed the lone Cosmonaut. Soyuz 11 had a decompression on re-entry and the three Cosmonauts, who were not wearing space suits, died. Apparently if it didn't happen to Americans, it didn't happen.

 

[wingnutt]

The stuff about Astronaut remains was reported on MSNBC TV about 12:50pm

hehe, well there ya go then...its only 12:30 pm

 

[EagleRJ]

Local news in Dallas had a tape shot by a viewer that showed something coming off the shuttle just as it started passing over the Dallas area. The normal, faint trail it was leaving then started transforming into a smoke trail. Several seconds later, there was a sudden and dramatic decrease in speed, and the single bright dot split into several smaller dots.

God Bless the heroic crew of STS-107

 

[NEDude]

"hehe, well there ya go then...its only 12:30 pm"


Reported at 12:50 pm ET.