# Some pictures of the space shuttle debris. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 3, 2003, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-pictures-of-the-space-shuttle-debris/152460 "2003-02-03T07:13:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-pictures-of-the-space-shuttle-debris/152460/1 "2003-02-03T07:13:38Z")
Oh my God. [Check out row two, column two.](http://www.reuters.com/newsPhotoGallery.jhtml?type=topNews&page=older&lastSID=1000366570&count=16&captions=off&totalPhotos=300&seq=12) ☹ ---
**Author:** ![GraceTX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c4cdca/32.png) [@GraceTX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GraceTX)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-pictures-of-the-space-shuttle-debris/152460/2 "2003-02-03T14:18:00Z")
What’s even more disturbing is the woman holding a picture of the found helmet. That helmet belonged to a dead astronaut and she’s smiling like she won a ribbon at the state fair. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-pictures-of-the-space-shuttle-debris/152460/3 "2003-02-03T14:44:33Z")
Those page numbers might change so here is a link to the R2C2 image: [http://www.reuters.com/newsPhotoPresentation.jhtml?type=topNews&imageID=1000365853](http://www.reuters.com/newsPhotoPresentation.jhtml?type=topNews&imageID=1000365853) And the smiling woman: [http://www.reuters.com/newsPhotoPresentation.jhtml?type=topNews&imageID=1000365854](http://www.reuters.com/newsPhotoPresentation.jhtml?type=topNews&imageID=1000365854) ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-pictures-of-the-space-shuttle-debris/152460/4 "2003-02-03T15:02:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Grace \* > \*\*What’s even more disturbing is the woman holding a picture of the found helmet. That helmet belonged to a dead astronaut and she’s smiling like she won a ribbon at the state fair. :mad: \*\* That pissed me off to no end, too. How tacky. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-pictures-of-the-space-shuttle-debris/152460/5 "2003-02-03T16:33:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Grace \* > \*\*What’s even more disturbing is the woman holding a picture of the found helmet. That helmet belonged to a dead astronaut and she’s smiling like she won a ribbon at the state fair. :mad: \*\* She might just be happy that she found a critical piece of evidence and was able to alert the authorities to it. But I doubt it. ---
**Author:** ![bettyspaghetti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@bettyspaghetti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bettyspaghetti)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-pictures-of-the-space-shuttle-debris/152460/6 "2003-02-03T17:28:11Z")
Give the gal a break, you dont no if she’s been an emotional wreck up to the moment of her picture being takenSee the guy in the picture with her, he’s pretty grim faced - Look a smile during a somber episode does not mean diddly as to how she really feels about finding a dead astronaughts helmet. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-pictures-of-the-space-shuttle-debris/152460/7 "2003-02-03T17:39:56Z")
Naive people when confronted by press photographers tend to do what they’re told. And many press photographers have few scruples. She was probably told “smile”, so she did. I hope. ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-pictures-of-the-space-shuttle-debris/152460/8 "2003-02-03T18:11:57Z")
Dr Chawla was so pretty. I know that is such an irrelevant fact, but it kills me to see photos of her smiling face. ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-pictures-of-the-space-shuttle-debris/152460/9 "2003-02-03T20:32:33Z")
**Cranky** , every time they show a picture of the crew, I’m drawn to her face. I agree. I can’t look at anyone but her. Well, except for McCool, who I am convinced is closer than 6 degrees from Kevin Bacon. ---
**Author:** ![imthjckaz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/imthjckaz/32/3223_2.png) [@imthjckaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/imthjckaz)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-pictures-of-the-space-shuttle-debris/152460/10 "2003-02-03T23:02:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CrankyAsAnOldMan \* > \*\*Dr Chawla was so pretty. I know that is such an irrelevant fact, but it kills me to see photos of her smiling face. \*\* I feel the same way. She looks so happy. From everything I’ve seen, the nation of India is devestated from the loss. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-pictures-of-the-space-shuttle-debris/152460/11 "2003-02-03T23:05:44Z")
Thanks **Opal** ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-pictures-of-the-space-shuttle-debris/152460/12 "2003-02-03T23:21:30Z")
i agree, the pictures of the crew enjoying the weightless envior. are heartbreaking. scout, i saw a interview with mccool’s sister, he and sis look just like mom. what a nifty last name. this morning on gma they had his mom, dad, and son on. his son looks like him as well but different colouring, brunet with brown eyes. ---
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-pictures-of-the-space-shuttle-debris/152460/13 "2003-02-03T23:25:50Z")
I thought I read a story that stated the helmet in the photo was not on an astronaut at the time of the accident. I cannot recall if it was a.) extra equipment in storage or b.) those helmets were not worn by crew during re-entry. I think it was “a”. I will try to find the cite. ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-pictures-of-the-space-shuttle-debris/152460/14 "2003-02-04T03:04:53Z")
That is so sad, I hope to God that that lady is smiling only because she was being told to. If its for “hey ma, look at me, I’m on TV!” that is just sick. ---
**Author:** ![1ofthegulls](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/bcef8e/32.png) [@1ofthegulls](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1ofthegulls)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-pictures-of-the-space-shuttle-debris/152460/15 "2003-02-04T03:16:35Z")
It’s a very odd photo for sure and yep, she looks pretty stupid to be smiling. Some people’s reactions to stress, pain, grief, whatever is to laugh. Or possibly in her case, ear to ear smile. I lost a close friend in high school. The pain was terrible. At the funeral something just struck me as funny. I mean I had side splitting laughter happening! I had to excuse myself and go to my car. Certainly nothing funny about the death or the funeral, just my defense mechanism kicking in. ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-pictures-of-the-space-shuttle-debris/152460/16 "2003-02-04T03:50:42Z")
Disturbing photo. Give the woman a break though. She was probably just acting on instinct when the photographer pointed his camera at her. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-pictures-of-the-space-shuttle-debris/152460/17 "2003-02-04T07:27:42Z")
I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who is drawn to Dr. Chawla’s face. She seemed so sweet—that sweet smile. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-pictures-of-the-space-shuttle-debris/152460/18 "2003-02-04T08:24:30Z")
> [@](#): > > **bettyspaghetti** : …how she really feels about finding a dead astronaughts helmet. Well, that’s the saddest typo I’ve seen in a while. Damn. ---
**Author:** ![Geobabe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/geobabe/32/3908_2.png) [@Geobabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geobabe)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-pictures-of-the-space-shuttle-debris/152460/19 "2003-02-04T13:06:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by neuroman \* > \*\*Disturbing photo. Give the woman a break though. She was probably just acting on instinct when the photographer pointed his camera at her. \*\* That’s what I was thinking; you’re usually supposed to smile when someone takes your picture, so that’s probably what she did, without thinking about what the picture really was.