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Shuttle Columbia breaks up over Texas

2003-02-01

Watching Fox News this AM just now and it appears the Space Shuttle Columbia broke up on reentry for landing, over central Texas. They are launching search and rescue, but there was debris trails visible over Texas. Crap! Our prayers are with the crew - seven astronauts.

FOLLOWUP:
The craft was over north central Texas, speed 12,500 mph, at 207,000 feet. Last communication was around 8 a.m. Central Time, with landing scheduled at 8.16. NASA has declared a "contingency." Crews families have been moved from the landing strip.

NASA asks anyone finding debris to stay away from it, due to possible toxic substances, but to inform their local law enforcement authorities. No debris found yet...

More, from the AP...

Residents in north Texas reported hearing "a big bang" at about 9 a.m., the same time all radio and data communication with the shuttle and its crew of seven was lost. In Washington, officials said President Bush had been informed and was awaiting more information from NASA. Officials said there was no indication of terrorism. Six Americans and Israel's first astronaut were on board Columbia. Inside Mission Control, flight controllers hovered in front of their computers, staring at the screens. The wives, husbands and children of the astronauts who had been waiting at the landing strip were gathered together by NASA and taken to secluded place.

From Novosti...

The Columbia shuttle has exploded during landing. All American TV companies interrupted their programs and showed parts of the space shuttle falling apart in mid-air during its descent. NASA instructed search and rescue groups to start searching along the trajectory of the shuttle's descent in Texas. The accident occurred at 17.16 Moscow time about 500 miles from the cosmodrome at Cape Canaveral in Florida. 7 astronauts were on board the shuttle (2 women, 5 men), including the first Israeli astronaut.

FOLLOWUP:
They've started finding debris in an around Nacogdoches... across the state line in Arkansas, too... Unconfirmed reports of human remains found...

Posted by:Frank G

#14 I don't remember which network I was watching, but I saw a clip of what looked like a charred helmet on some lawn someplace. Whoever was working the video camera zoomed into the open face area and it looked like there was a small clump of hair inside. That video sequence was rather unnerving.

Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2003-02-01 21:46:36

#13 I read the bios of these 7 remarkable human beings. They were motivated, intelligent, enthusiastic, and well rounded human beings. They are true heros that young people should emulate. You know, strive for real excellence. Why do they die and those mindless Hollywood idiots live? I know that I should not think that way, but that is how I feel. I also feel great pride in the caliber of people who go for the space program, knowing full well its hazards. My heart goes out to the families of these fine people.

Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-02-01 21:24:20

#12 No sabotage needed. Reentry is a high-stress regime, all it takes is being a couple of degrees too steep on the entry path, or a cracked tile.

Posted by: mojo 2003-02-01 20:05:30

#11 RW and Em Wem: I think the "silent" majority among the Canadians DO support the U.S. and would hesitate to condemn the whole for the vocal idiocy of those with microphones. Just as with NPR, I would hesitate to take Public Radio for actual public radio ( sans bias)

Posted by: Frank G 2003-02-01 18:36:48

#10 em wem, don't forget that there are Canadians who stand firmly by their American cousins, and share in their tragedies and grief. They understand that the threats we face are common. Some don't, it's true, but there are a lot that do.

Posted by: Rw - Canadian 2003-02-01 18:02:52

#9 So, so sad. Sabotage would be hard on the launchpad, but the craft had undergone a massive overhaul/refitting some time back, an opportunity to insert inferior or rigged materials to disintegrate later. Curiously I noticed Canadian CBC was late reporting the tragedy, but it is so Canadian that their focus was how this may cause the U.S. to reconsider the space program, so costly etc and for what? Do they understand the word 'Defense'? Well no. I live near border but dont watch CBC too much anymore. Too depressing. Last night's CBC prime time comedy show was anti US as usual. Bush as Patton -excerpts: 'this crazed Hussein feller continues to provoke us, he wont stop breathing..granted the UN..have failed to find weapons..that leads to one conclusion..he has weapons..my daddy told me that..heyuk heyuk..". In the same show the comics yukked: "UN inspectors gave..Hussein a B on his report card..(Saddam)lost marks when he demonstrated this science project (video of a nuclear blast)..Hee Hee Hee". You never feel as alone as to have neighbors who are still laughing at the threat. And the hatred is palpable. (I mean emanating out of Canada).

Posted by: em wem 2003-02-01 13:20:38

#8 My sincere condolences to the crew members' families. Space conquest is the most positive and uplifting thing you can picture when thinking about America. In addition to the loss of lives, that's a terrible blow to a powerful symbol. About the 'islamo fanatics dancing in the street', let them dance; tomorrow, there will be israeli astronauts and US space missions again, while they will still live in the same backwater ratholes.

Posted by: Anonymous 2003-02-01 12:56:29

#7 My condolences to the family and friends of the lost astronauts... It's hard to find the words to describe this horror... I'm in a funk now,and I don't mean like James Brown.

Posted by: El Id 2003-02-01 10:03:50

#6 What a horrible, horrible day... I can just see the Islamo-fanatics dancing in the streets... All the more reason why they should be rewarded with some long-range treatment...

Posted by: Nik Karanikos 2003-02-01 09:56:37

#5 If it was sabotage, the evidence is probably ionized...

Posted by: Ptah 2003-02-01 09:12:25

#4 wasn't this the one with the Israeli astronaut? They'll be handing out candy and ululating in the streets in Gaza....f*&king bastards

Posted by: Frank G 2003-02-01 09:06:29

#3 This is beginning to look like a very baaaad day...

Posted by: Ptah 2003-02-01 09:00:48

#2 Frank G:

That was one of my first thoughts, too, especially since the first eye-witness on CNN was from Palestine (pronounced -steen) Texas.

I also think it's stupid to pooh-pooh sabotage entirely. It obviously wasn't shot down at that altitude, but the descent is entirely software-controlled, and that could have been screwed around with. Not likely, but not impossible.

Posted by: Dr. Weevil 2003-02-01 09:36:22

#1 Goddammit.

Posted by: Fred 2003-02-01 08:56:48

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