We've Just Lost a Shuttle!

[Tuckerfan]

It looks like Columbia's gone. No one seems to know what's happened yet. Let's hope the crew survived.

[mouthbreather]

7 people on board, I can't imagine they have any serious chance of surviving.

Let's hope.

[PlanMan]

Now NASA is warning people to report but stay away from debris.

They were travelling at Mach17.

[Linus Van Pelt]

Words fail. Not again.

[twickster]

Oh my god. Let's all say a prayer.

[mishaa]

*sigh*

I was in 10th grade in the spring of 1987. We watched the liftoff in Algebra class, since there was a teacher on board. I remember just dead silence in the classroom, and my teacher frozen.

I am experiencing the same feelings today. This is a day of mourning............

[TruePisces]

I'm in shock. Complete shock.

I don't know what else to say.

[Tapioca Dextrin]

I've just seen the video of it breaking up.

[Skelji]

Video from Texas shows what appears to be the shuttle breaking up and falling to the ground.

[Dreaming of Maria Callas]

It's a shame that we've gotten so used to political profiteering that right now the only thing I can think is "I wonder if Bush is going to blame it on Iraq."

UnuMondo

[obfusciatrist]

Two weeks ago, I checked an item off my Lifetime To-Do List, and watched a space shuttle launch live, from Cocoa Beach.

It was all the more special because it was Columbia, the one that first had me in awe as a kid.

I visited the astronaut memorial and noted that they had built it with an awful lot of room for more names, that they were so cautious that it would probably be a long time before that room was needed.

I don't really know what to say, I'm just rambling.

[OpalCat]

Originally posted by mishaa
I was in 10th grade in the spring of 1987. We watched the liftoff in Algebra class, since there was a teacher on board. I remember just dead silence in the classroom, and my teacher frozen.

I was in 8th grade, and my class watched it too.... from the athletic field. Up in the sky. I've been unable to watch shuttle launches since then because they freak me out. Now this.

*cry*

This is just so horrible.

[SpazCat]

Wasn't Columbia the first shuttle the built?

This is Not Good on every level. I am sad.

[Tuckerfan]

Originally posted by SpazCat
Wasn't Columbia the first shuttle the built?

This is Not Good on every level. I am sad.

No, but she was the first to fly in space. Damn, damn, damn.

[Johnny L.A.]

I'm in shock. Complete shock.

I don't know what else to say.

Same here. When I opened my browser I thought it was a sick joke. But MSNBC isn't a joking site. I had to read the headline three times before I believed what I was seeing. What a thing to wake up to on a Saturday morning.

[Linus Van Pelt]

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggghhhhhhhh. They're interviewing a former astronaut and the interviewer HAS to ask him how it makes him feel to watch it. Then, when he is obviously choking up and having trouble responding, he presses him on it.

I wish this was in the pit so I could say how I feel about the interviewer, and this despicable tendency by news media (I know its been covered before, but it still gets to me).

Originally posted by SpazCat
Wasn't Columbia the first shuttle the built?

Close, SpazCat, Enterprise was the first built, but it was used for testing only, and never went into space. Columbia was the first launched and was the oldest ship in the fleet.

[Quartz]

Oh sh*t.

[Johnny L.A.]

Having been on the Space Shuttle Support Team when I was at Edwards, I should say that I tend to take this sort of thing a little personally.

[PunditLisa]

Rest in Peace, Columbia crew.

CNN is reporting that an Israeli astronaut was on flight. Dear God, let it be mechanical failure and not terrorism.

[NothingMan]

Another one who saw the other shuttle go out from 7th grade english class. Just unbelivable.

My prayers go out to all involved - including those on the ground under that debris.

[Bad Hat]

let the conspiracy theories begin.

tis a sad day.

[Q.E.D.]

[Lsura]

I was watching cartoons when they broke in (it was a network channel). *sigh* Prayers from me for everyone - those on board, those at mission control and most of all, the families.


I too, remember the Challenger explosion. I was in 6th grade though, and it was a school inservice day, so I was at home. My grandmother called to tell us then to turn on the television.

[OpalCat]

Originally posted by Johnny L.A.
Having been on the Space Shuttle Support Team when I was at Edwards, I should say that I tend to take this sort of thing a little personally.

My dad was a Safety Engineer for the shuttle for a while, after the Challenger explosion. I wonder how he will feel when he sees this? He's on the road driving to Tennessee right now so he probably won't find out til tonight.

[LolaCocaCola]

So sad to share my birthday with this tragic, historic event.


God bless.

[Coldfire]

I just closed another thread on this topic - and was hoping to find good news in this one.

Shit.

FWIW, terrorism seems unlikely, right? It would have disintegrated at considerable height, and I doubt anyone could plant a bomb on a space shuttle.

Then again, whatever the cause, it's a tragedy. When I was a kid, I had a huge poster of the Columbia on my bedroom wall. I was 7 when it first launched - it was the coolest thing ever. Hell, anyone my age probably feels the same.

Rest in peace.

[obfusciatrist]

Originally posted by PunditLisa
Rest in Peace, Columbia crew.

CNN is reporting that an Israeli astronaut was on flight. Dear God, let it be mechanical failure and not terrorism.

At 200,000+ feet, it is hard to see how it could be terrorism or an attack unless somebody did something to the shuttle before it launched.

[Skeezix]

First I've heard of this:

Apparently, a piece of something broke off during launch, and impacted the left wing of the shuttle itself. What bearing this has on anything, I've not yet learned, but it does speak to the possibility of mechanical failure of some kind.

Deep breath, everyone.

[Dangerosa]

ACCCCKKK!!! My mothers best friends son is a shuttle pilot. This wasn't his mission, but his mother is still sure to be a wreck.

[Skelji]

There is now a report that, on Jan 16th when it took off, a piece of insulation from the fuel tank broke off and hit the wing. The insulation is a soft material, but it's possible that damage to the wing may have contributed to this problem on re-entry. It's still speculation, of course.

NASA officials have stated that it is *extremely* unlikely that this is terrorism. It's pretty sad, and also irresponsible, that the media is even suggesting terrorism. Accidents do still happen.

[dahempfaerie]

i was in eight grade english class when the shuttle exploded.............it was one of the saddest and most shocking moments of my life...........i never thought i would feel like that or witness anything like that again..............as i watch cnn, it is so obvious that there are no survivors....................my thoughts are with all the families........as PunditLisa said, i, too, agree: please, please let this not be terrorism

[PRNYouth]

Originally posted by mishaa
was in 10th grade in the spring of 1987. We watched the liftoff in Algebra class ...

The Challenger exploded on January 28th, 1986. Cite.

I remember the same feelings. We were at home -- school had been cancelled because of snow.

It's a good time to remember the words of President Reagan on the day of the Challenger disaster. He sad, "We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and 'slipped the surly bonds of earth' to 'touch the face of God.'"

(The lines President Reagan quoted come from a poem called "High Flight", written by John Magee, a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II.)

[ivylass]

My son came in from walking the dog and said the Challenger blew up. I said, honey, that was seventeen years ago.

He said our next door neighbor said no, it just happened.

I make my daughter switch from Nickelodeon to the news.

Goddammit, not again.

Wasn't an Arabian or Palestinian scientist also on board?

What a way to wake up on a lovely Saturday morning...

[Mehitabel]

Latest speculation is that foam insulation fell off the shuttle's wing when it was launched. Things do break off sometimes and normally the shuttle can cope, but the heat just seems to have hit it too hard on reentry.

CNN is on the phone with a woman from Palestine, TX. Her family was woken up by a rumble and a neighbor saw debris in a field and now they're seeing a lot of it around Central TX. At least we'll be able to retrieve those poor folks. They were at Mach 6, no way to eject.

Almost certainly has nothing to do with the war, the Israeli, etc. Just a sad coincidence, like the teacher being on board for the last disaster. But America and Israel surely don't need this tragedy right now. Damn.

[Skeezix]

A question for anyone who's managed to get info from CNN/NASA websites (or has just ben paying better attention than me to the boob tube)...

Apparently, someone on FOX news mentioned, along with the now repeated warning to stay away from possible shuttle debris (damn, that's morbid sounding) because the propellants used are toxic... in addition to this, FOX news used the word radioactive, on air. I've not heard this with m'own ears, but secondhand from my mother, who was watching when the news broke.

Anyone heard positive or negative on this little tidbit?

(She also puts forth the idea that it's a scare tactic to keep "souvenir hunters" from grabbing a bit of it. Yeah, I know.)

[Badge]

How sad, that the only time this whole planet seems united is when we mourn.

I've sent my officers out to lower all the flags in town.

[Coldfire]

Originally posted by UnuMondo
It's a shame that we've gotten so used to political profiteering that right now the only thing I can think is "I wonder if Bush is going to blame it on Iraq."

UnuMondo

And it's a real shame some people obviously aren't capable of showing some fucking decorum just minutes after a tragedy of this scale. Get a grip.

[Mehitabel]

Oh yeah, I was in college when the Challenger exploded. We were surprised but not shocked--I mean, space travel is just dangerous and the odds caught up with them. It wasn't until later that we learned the pressure to launch because of the publicity for Mrs. McAuliffe overwhelmed the caution about the cold temperature.

[ivylass]

Originally posted by Skeezix
A question for anyone who's managed to get info from CNN/NASA websites (or has just ben paying better attention than me to the boob tube)...

Apparently, someone on FOX news mentioned, along with the now repeated warning to stay away from possible shuttle debris (damn, that's morbid sounding) because the propellants used are toxic... in addition to this, FOX news used the word radioactive, on air. I've not heard this with m'own ears, but secondhand from my mother, who was watching when the news broke.

Anyone heard positive or negative on this little tidbit?

(She also puts forth the idea that it's a scare tactic to keep "souvenir hunters" from grabbing a bit of it. Yeah, I know.)

Skeezix, I heard that too. I tend to lean toward your mom's theory.

[Tuckerfan]

Some of the propellants are toxic and there might be radioactive materials on-board. Some of the materials the shuttle's made out of might be toxic if they burn as well.

[tmwster]

I'm watching the local news in Dallas. I heard a heavy thump this morning, and thought something fell from the trees onto my roof. Apparently many people in the Dallas area are reporting the same thing. Radar shows what might be debris falling across East Texas.

This is awful. Those poor astronauts and their families.

[Eats_Crayons]

Oh, no, no, no....

[Johnny L.A.]

There is now a report that, on Jan 16th when it took off, a piece of insulation from the fuel tank broke off and hit the wing. The insulation is a soft material, but it's possible that damage to the wing may have contributed to this problem on re-entry. It's still speculation, of course.

It could also have been a sheet of ice from the external fuel tank.

A caller to CNN from Texas said he saw a "plane" that seemed to be too close to the shuttle. He said it looked like a commercial jet. Of course, commercial jets might be at 40,000 feet or so and the Shuttle was at 200,000 feet. Obviously the guy was mistaken, and CNN also pointed that out.

My dad was a Safety Engineer for the shuttle for a while, after the Challenger explosion. I wonder how he will feel when he sees this? He's on the road driving to Tennessee right now so he probably won't find out til tonight.

He'll undoubtedly already know about it from the radio, or at least from conversation when he refuels.

NASA officials have stated that it is *extremely* unlikely that this is terrorism. It's pretty sad, and also irresponsible, that the media is even suggesting terrorism. Accidents do still happen.

I don't like the phrase "accident", as air crashes almost always have a chain of events that lead up to them. But accidents do indeed happen from time to time. I don't see any way this could possibly be a terrorist act. Just a tragic accident.

[Brutus]

Originally posted by Skeezix
A question for anyone who's managed to get info from CNN/NASA websites (or has just ben paying better attention than me to the boob tube)...

Apparently, someone on FOX news mentioned, along with the now repeated warning to stay away from possible shuttle debris (damn, that's morbid sounding) because the propellants used are toxic... in addition to this, FOX news used the word radioactive, on air. I've not heard this with m'own ears, but secondhand from my mother, who was watching when the news broke.

Anyone heard positive or negative on this little tidbit?

(She also puts forth the idea that it's a scare tactic to keep "souvenir hunters" from grabbing a bit of it. Yeah, I know.)

Hydrazine is not radioactive, but can be fatal if inhaled or absorbed through the skin. And I think that it is Hydrazine that they use, along with oxygen, but I am not sure.

[Achernar]

I was only five years old in early 1986, so it never really hit me at the time.... This has hit me.

[Greywolf73]

This is horrible. My prayers go out to those astronauts and their families.

[Skelji]

Given the extreme security measures that surround shuttle stagings and take-offs, it is almost impossible that anyone could have sabotaged anything.

As for a missile on re-entry, or some ridiculous theory like that, reports indicate that the shuttle was at around 200,000 feet (40 miles), travelling around 10,000 mph when it broke up. You'd have to be quite a shot to hit that. Anyway, I'm pretty sure that's out of the range of any surface-to-air missile.

[Duke]

A sad day, a sad sad day.

[OpalCat]

Originally posted by Skeezix
First I've heard of this:

Apparently, a piece of something broke off during launch, and impacted the left wing of the shuttle itself. What bearing this has on anything, I've not yet learned, but it does speak to the possibility of mechanical failure of some kind.

Deep breath, everyone.

They think that the thing that broke off (they're saying it may have been ice) may have damaged some of the tiles. I've heard that even oil from your fingers on those tiles can create a hot spot on re-entry that can cause problems, so if the ice, say, knocked one of those off, it could have been responsible for the explosion.

[airdisc]

Wasn't one of the people on board a Holocaust survivor, or the son of one? I remember hearing something about an Israeli Holocaust survivor being on board. Any truth to this?