# We've Just Lost a Shuttle! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 1, 2003, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-lost-a-shuttle/152097 "2003-02-01T14:41:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-lost-a-shuttle/152097/81 "2003-02-01T15:58:37Z")
I think he just meant that it hasn’t sunk in yet. That it doesn’t seem real yet. ---
**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-lost-a-shuttle/152097/82 "2003-02-01T16:00:24Z")
\ God speed… [Rick D. Husband, Commander](http://www.cnn.com/interactive/space/0301/gallery.mission.guide/content.2.1.html) [William C. McCool, Pilot](http://www.cnn.com/interactive/space/0301/gallery.mission.guide/content.2.2.html) [Michael P. Anderson, Payload Commander](http://www.cnn.com/interactive/space/0301/gallery.mission.guide/content.2.3.html) [David M. Brown, Mission Specialist](http://www.cnn.com/interactive/space/0301/gallery.mission.guide/content.2.4.html) [Kalpana Chawla, Mission Specialist](http://www.cnn.com/interactive/space/0301/gallery.mission.guide/content.2.5.html) [Laurel Clark, Mission Specialist](http://www.cnn.com/interactive/space/0301/gallery.mission.guide/content.2.6.html) [Ilon Ramon, Payload Specialist](http://www.cnn.com/interactive/space/0301/gallery.mission.guide/content.2.7.html) Thank you for your service to all of us. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-lost-a-shuttle/152097/83 "2003-02-01T16:01:03Z")
I don’t know, **MEBuckner** , but this > [@](#): > > But still, the shuttle blew up. Over freakin’ Texas. A lotta people stop by Texas to die, it seems. seemed a little flip to me. If Blackeyes meant no offense, I apologize. I was in college when the Challenger blew up…it’s deja vu all over again, and as you can see from my location, going outside to watch a shuttle launch from my backyard or work is par for the course for me… ---
**Author:** ![Azael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a8b319/32.png) [@Azael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azael)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-lost-a-shuttle/152097/84 "2003-02-01T16:01:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Achernar \* > \*\*I was only five years old in early 1986, so it never really _hit_ me at the time… This has hit me. ☹ \*\* I know exactly what you mean, I was only 4 back then… this is horrible… ---
**Author:** ![Kwyjibo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/59ef9b/32.png) [@Kwyjibo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kwyjibo)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-lost-a-shuttle/152097/85 "2003-02-01T16:01:44Z")
[http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts107/status.html](http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts107/status.html) Moment my moment account from Nasa. (Regularly Updated.) ---
**Author:** ![Zagadka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zagadka/32/7272_2.png) [@Zagadka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zagadka)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-lost-a-shuttle/152097/86 "2003-02-01T16:02:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ivylass \* > \*\*If you can’t say something nice, don’t post at all. > > Have some heart, for crying out loud. \*\* To be totally fair… Space exploration is incredibly dangerous, not to mention precise. Each mission carries tremendous risk should one or two things go wrong. It isn’t so much of an impossibility for something like this to happen, and we all knew that eventually it would. NASA knew. The astronauts knew. To not be mourning, I don’t know about. Maybe it has something to do with his empty feeling. I don’t want to get into it right now. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-lost-a-shuttle/152097/87 "2003-02-01T16:02:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chandeleur \* > \*\*\ > God speed… > > [Rick D. Husband, Commander](http://www.cnn.com/interactive/space/0301/gallery.mission.guide/content.2.1.html) > > [William C. McCool, Pilot](http://www.cnn.com/interactive/space/0301/gallery.mission.guide/content.2.2.html) > > [Michael P. Anderson, Payload Commander](http://www.cnn.com/interactive/space/0301/gallery.mission.guide/content.2.3.html) > > [David M. Brown, Mission Specialist](http://www.cnn.com/interactive/space/0301/gallery.mission.guide/content.2.4.html) > > [Kalpana Chawla, Mission Specialist](http://www.cnn.com/interactive/space/0301/gallery.mission.guide/content.2.5.html) > > [Laurel Clark, Mission Specialist](http://www.cnn.com/interactive/space/0301/gallery.mission.guide/content.2.6.html) > > [Ilon Ramon, Payload Specialist](http://www.cnn.com/interactive/space/0301/gallery.mission.guide/content.2.7.html) > Thank you for your service to all of us. \*\* Does anyone know if they had families, wives, children, etc? How horrible it must have been for the families, watching the shuttle bringing Mommy or Daddy home… ☹ ☹ ☹ ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Blackeyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f6c823/32.png) [@Blackeyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackeyes)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-lost-a-shuttle/152097/88 "2003-02-01T16:03:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ivylass \* > \*\*I don’t know, **MEBuckner** , but this seemed a little flip to me. > > If Blackeyes meant no offense, I apologize. I was in college when the Challenger blew up…it’s deja vu all over again, and as you can see from my location, going outside to watch a shuttle launch from my backyard or work is par for the course for me… \*\* I mean no offense to anyone in any post I’ve made in this thread or any others outisde of the Pit. I’m just… I dunno, man. ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-lost-a-shuttle/152097/89 "2003-02-01T16:03:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Azael \* > \*\*I know exactly what you mean, I was only 4 back then… this is horrible… \*\* I had just turned six. We were watching it in kindergarten. The teacher was sad, but all of us kids were thinking “Cool! Look at the colors!” In fact, that’s what I remember best about it. The bright blue sky, the rusty-red um…I forgot what the red part is, the shining white boosters and shuttle, the yellow and white clouds…☹ ---
**Author:** ![Atreyu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Atreyu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atreyu)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-lost-a-shuttle/152097/90 "2003-02-01T16:04:40Z")
A sad, terrible day. My sympathies go out to the families of the lost astronauts. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-lost-a-shuttle/152097/91 "2003-02-01T16:04:54Z")
Ron McNair (one of the astronauts killed on _Challenger_) was to have played his sax in orbit to be used on Jean Michel Jarre’s _Rendevous_. Jarre dedicated the album to the memory of the _Challenger_ astronauts. Uh, I hope that this doesn’t seem tacky, but I’d like to ask folks to click the petition link in my sig and sign the petition. Pretty soon idiots are going to start screaming that the space program’s too dangerous and should be abandoned. None of the astronauts would want that. NASA’s going to need all the support it can get in the coming months. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-lost-a-shuttle/152097/92 "2003-02-01T16:05:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kwyjibo \* > \*\*[http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts107/status.html](http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts107/status.html) > > Moment my moment account from Nasa. (Regularly Updated.) \*\* Thanks for the link. The press conference is scheduled for 11:30 EST. Anybody know if I can see (or at least hear) it on the Net? I don’t have Cable and Japanese TV probably won’t have the original English sound. ---
**Author:** ![Slainte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@Slainte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slainte)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-lost-a-shuttle/152097/93 "2003-02-01T16:05:40Z")
☹ I can’t believe this has happened twice in my lifetime. I was 10 when The Challenger exploded; I too recall seeing it in school. Rest in Peace, Columbia Crew. My thoughts & prayers for the families. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-lost-a-shuttle/152097/94 "2003-02-01T16:06:26Z")
I was home from school when challenger blew apart. I watched on television. I was maybe nine. Same feeling of shock. This is terrible. To say it was terrorists and play up peoples dumbest fears is downright irresponsible. This is a tragedy. ---
**Author:** ![Skelji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Skelji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skelji)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-lost-a-shuttle/152097/95 "2003-02-01T16:06:42Z")
Keep in mind that, besides the possible health hazards, the main reason for telling people not to touch anything is that any fragment of the shuttle is **evidence**. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-lost-a-shuttle/152097/96 "2003-02-01T16:06:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zagadka \* > \*\*To be totally fair… > > Space exploration is incredibly dangerous, not to mention precise. Each mission carries tremendous risk should one or two things go wrong. It isn’t so much of an impossibility for something like this to happen, and we all knew that eventually it would. NASA knew. The astronauts knew. > > \*\* I realize that, just like the boys going over to the Middle East face the risk of death. It still doesn’t mean you shrug off the loss of a human life because of inherent dangers… ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-lost-a-shuttle/152097/97 "2003-02-01T16:07:02Z")
Speechless…, and sad. Damn. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-lost-a-shuttle/152097/98 "2003-02-01T16:07:04Z")
Don’t the crew have the ability to replace damaged tiles? Here’s hoping the crew cabin survived long enough for them to escape. ---
**Author:** ![Mephisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@Mephisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mephisto)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-lost-a-shuttle/152097/99 "2003-02-01T16:08:24Z")
Wow. What a thing to wake up to. ☹ I just turned off the news. None of the stations I watch are adding anything new. So now I’m just . . . sad. Like **Slainte** , I didn’t really think I would see something like this again. What a tragedy. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-lost-a-shuttle/152097/100 "2003-02-01T16:09:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Blackeyes \* > \*\*I mean no offense to anyone in any post I’ve made in this thread or any others outisde of the Pit. > I’m just… I dunno, man. \*\* I think I understand, **Blackeyes** , we all deal with tragedy in our own way. I apologize for taking offense with how you deal with it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-lost-a-shuttle/152097.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-just-lost-a-shuttle/152097.md?page=6)