# Can the shuttle have been shot down with a stinger? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 1, 2003, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-shuttle-have-been-shot-down-with-a-stinger/152092 "2003-02-01T14:20:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![InLikeFlynn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f19dbf/32.png) [@InLikeFlynn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InLikeFlynn)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-shuttle-have-been-shot-down-with-a-stinger/152092/1 "2003-02-01T14:20:19Z")
Saddams revenge? First Jew in space never lands! Another conspiracy theory is born! ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-shuttle-have-been-shot-down-with-a-stinger/152092/2 "2003-02-01T14:32:08Z")
Well, that’s respectful. Those people aren’t even dead a half-hour and your making with the jokes. Can you do my funeral? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-shuttle-have-been-shot-down-with-a-stinger/152092/3 "2003-02-01T14:37:57Z")
How do you know they’re dead? As of ten minutes ago, NASA had only lost contact. > **[Breaking International News & Views](https://www.reuters.com/)** > [@](#): > > NASA Loses Communication with Shuttle Ahead Landing > Sat February 1, 2003 09:24 AM ET > > CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - The U.S. space agency NASA said it lost contact with the space shuttle minutes before a scheduled landing on Saturday as it crossed the United States with seven astronauts on board. > > The shuttle’s landing was overdue after it was planned to arrive at the Kennedy Space Center at 9:16 a.m. EST. NASA officials lost contact with the orbiter at about 9 a.m… Any reports of mid-air explosions? ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-shuttle-have-been-shot-down-with-a-stinger/152092/4 "2003-02-01T14:39:08Z")
**DDG** : no, but TV footage of a large trail and multiple smaller trails breaking away from it. ---
**Author:** ![PlanMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2bfe46/32.png) [@PlanMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlanMan)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-shuttle-have-been-shot-down-with-a-stinger/152092/5 "2003-02-01T14:39:51Z")
CNN is showing video tape, from Dallas, with multiple trails. They would have been at about 200,000 feet. Unconfirmed report from Texas of large “impact” explosion. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-shuttle-have-been-shot-down-with-a-stinger/152092/6 "2003-02-01T14:40:20Z")
Oh shit. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-shuttle-have-been-shot-down-with-a-stinger/152092/7 "2003-02-01T14:41:25Z")
Just as they didn’t immediately confirm the Challenger even as you saw the accident, I think this one is real, DDG. This is so far beyond the ordinary Shuttle profile that at this point I’m assuming the worst. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![InLikeFlynn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f19dbf/32.png) [@InLikeFlynn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InLikeFlynn)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-shuttle-have-been-shot-down-with-a-stinger/152092/8 "2003-02-01T14:42:19Z")
I wasn’t trying to make a Joke. I have Jewish relatives. I was pointing out a possible reason for sabotage. Extremely unlikely on re-entry but plausible. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-shuttle-have-been-shot-down-with-a-stinger/152092/9 "2003-02-01T14:43:11Z")
Saddam is toast, whether he actually pushed a button or not. All those Administration “Iraq-Al Qaeda” links… Cry “havoc!”, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![InLikeFlynn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f19dbf/32.png) [@InLikeFlynn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InLikeFlynn)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-shuttle-have-been-shot-down-with-a-stinger/152092/10 "2003-02-01T14:43:30Z")
Its breaking up on live TV. The worst is being confirmed before my eyes. ---
**Author:** ![InLikeFlynn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f19dbf/32.png) [@InLikeFlynn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InLikeFlynn)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-shuttle-have-been-shot-down-with-a-stinger/152092/11 "2003-02-01T14:45:03Z")
What could cause such a disaster? Loss of heat sheilds? ---
**Author:** ![PlanMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2bfe46/32.png) [@PlanMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlanMan)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-shuttle-have-been-shot-down-with-a-stinger/152092/12 "2003-02-01T14:47:26Z")
Now NASA is warning people to report but stay away from debris. They were travelling at Mach17. ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Wang-Ka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/master_wang-ka/32/3325_2.png) [@Master\_Wang-Ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Master_Wang-Ka)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-shuttle-have-been-shot-down-with-a-stinger/152092/13 "2003-02-01T14:48:14Z")
It’s worse than that. If I was some loony Islamic fundamentalist, seething with hate towards the West, I would certainly take this as a sign that Allah hated Americans and Jews as much as I did, and that this was Allah’s sign that the Great Jihad should begin… don’cha think? I mean, fireballs from the sky, and all? ---
**Author:** ![Eli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@Eli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eli)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-shuttle-have-been-shot-down-with-a-stinger/152092/14 "2003-02-01T14:48:33Z")
What a shame… ---
**Author:** ![PlanMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2bfe46/32.png) [@PlanMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlanMan)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-shuttle-have-been-shot-down-with-a-stinger/152092/15 "2003-02-01T14:48:49Z")
**Flynn** , an earlier report on CNN said there had been some problems w/ hydrualics - which would control the flight surfaces for the turns they have to make during re-entry. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-shuttle-have-been-shot-down-with-a-stinger/152092/16 "2003-02-01T14:50:04Z")
What do I think? I think starting ugly rumors before any evidence comes in one way or another is sick. ---
**Author:** ![InLikeFlynn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f19dbf/32.png) [@InLikeFlynn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InLikeFlynn)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-shuttle-have-been-shot-down-with-a-stinger/152092/17 "2003-02-01T14:50:26Z")
GOD Speed? R.I.P ---
**Author:** ![InLikeFlynn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f19dbf/32.png) [@InLikeFlynn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InLikeFlynn)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-shuttle-have-been-shot-down-with-a-stinger/152092/18 "2003-02-01T14:53:32Z")
I don’t know what’s worse. Sabotage or technicial malfunction. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-shuttle-have-been-shot-down-with-a-stinger/152092/19 "2003-02-01T14:53:46Z")
Well, let’s try and be logical about this. Could a Stinger have reached them? Any ballistics geeks here? [http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/02/01/shuttle.landing.ap/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/02/01/shuttle.landing.ap/index.html) > [@](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![InLikeFlynn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f19dbf/32.png) [@InLikeFlynn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InLikeFlynn)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-shuttle-have-been-shot-down-with-a-stinger/152092/20 "2003-02-01T14:56:44Z")
I was unaware of the altitude of the shuttle when I speculated. I can’t see terrorism being responsible for this! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-shuttle-have-been-shot-down-with-a-stinger/152092.md?page=2)