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Space Shuttle Columbia Lost....
samuelk
The Unstoppable Mr. 'K'
in Zocalo v2.0
Video footage on CNN is showing the shuttle breaking up pretty high in the atmosphere, shortly after contact was lost. I know that they have emergency escape procedures, but I doubt there's anyhting that can be done when the shuttle is traveling at Mach 25. Plus, they're way too high.
This does not look good.
This does not look good.
Comments
[b]Video footage on CNN is showing the shuttle breaking up pretty high in the atmosphere, shortly after contact was lost. I know that they have emergency escape procedures, but I doubt there's anyhting that can be done when the shuttle is traveling at Mach 25. Plus, they're way too high.
This does not look good.[/b][/quote]
3 days since the challenger anniversary [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/frown.gif[/img]
How long before some idiot in texas finds debris and tries to sell it on Ebay?
[This message has been edited by Entil'Zha (edited 02-01-2003).]
Speculations?
[b]This is indeed a sad day once again... [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/frown.gif[/img]
Speculations?[/b][/quote]
Speculation.... The piece of ice that hit the shuttle on launch cracked the heat-shield. which then failed on re-entry.
Or, for some reason during re-entry there was an explosion or other event that changed the shuttle's attitude, and then it was violently shaken apart by the turbulance of re-entry.
Or, least likely (imho), a computer error caused an incorrect re-entry attitude causing burnup on re-entry.
A warning to you and all your friends and family: If you live in the southern US and come across debris DO NOT get near it, get away, the fumes will kill you within days.
Speculation: Re-entry computer failure, failure of the ceramic tiles. Act of God, fate, or act of man.
A tragic day.
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AnlaShok, Captain of the Gray Hand of Fate Squadron
Sidhe-1
Wielder of the Big Heavy Hammer of Obvious Truth
"FABRICATI DIEM, PVNC!"
I repeat this is pretty remote and highly unlikely, but should be noted.
also did you guys know something fell off it on launch?
[b]it was probably too old and the engines blew up.[/b][/quote]
It was probably not. In '99 she had a seventeen month refit. Not to mention the fact that we've been flying the same B-52 bombers for fifty years and they're still chugging along. Say what you will about american aircraft, but they are not easily aged.
The Challenger event was one of the most influential in my life--my engineering degree I went after because of it. I learned allot about that vehicle over that time. icluding the fact that the crew module can withstand over 20 g's of accelleration, so they may be able to recover it, the data recorders inside it, and bodies that will bring closure to the families.
I'm still in shock. I still remember the last disaster like it was just yesterday. It's a feeling I'd hoped I'd not have to feel again.
CBS is reporting that the debris appears centered in Macedoches, Texas.
My thoughts and prayers go to the families in this time of tragedy. :/
-R.
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[i]"...Never start a fight...but [b]always[/b] finish it."[/i]
[b]it was probably too old and the engines blew up.
also did you guys know something fell off it on launch?[/b][/quote]
Ummm...no. They strip the shuttles down to the airframe ~ every 6-8 flights. Columbia had her last refit less than two years ago. If anything, she was newer.
These craft are the most pampered vehicles on the face of the Earth, because of what they are called upon to do.
Airframes are rated for ~100 flights, after which retirement is mandatory. Columbia, as I recall, had ~28 flights on hers.
Re: debris: see my last post.
-R.
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[i]"...Never start a fight...but [b]always[/b] finish it."[/i]
[This message has been edited by Rick (edited 02-01-2003).]
Atlantis and Endeavour?
[This message has been edited by ZocaloHobo (edited 02-01-2003).]
Discovery, Endevuour, Atlantis..crap, there is another one I think...
I knew I was missing one
There is also Enterprise, but it was only for testing purposes only.
They are saying on NBC that a NORAD early warning sat recorded a heat spike at the same location and time as the shuttle..indicating an expolosion, although who knows if that was the cause or an effect.
And yes, the columbia had just had a complete engine replacement 2 flights ago IIRC.
I wonder if they will now look at the Venture Star again..
[b]Discovery, thats the other one...Thanks!
I knew I was missing one
There is also Enterprise, but it was only for testing purposes only.[/b][/quote]
I had that same problem, i was just talkign to my wife and could only remember Columbia, Challenger, Endevour and Atlantis. i forgot all about Discovery.
I thought that after the Challenger they should have refit Enterprise for spaceflight. and i did hear rumors that there is another shuttle being built, but i dunno about that.
This is a sad day.
[b] Ummm...no. They strip the shuttles down to the airframe ~ every 6-8 flights. Columbia had her last refit less than two years ago. If anything, she was newer.
These craft are the most pampered vehicles on the face of the Earth, because of what they are called upon to do.
Airframes are rated for ~100 flights, after which retirement is mandatory. Columbia, as I recall, had ~28 flights on hers.
Re: debris: see my last post.
-R.
[/b][/quote]
i was just saying what i heard from a NTSB guy on one of the news channels.
[b]This is terrible. And now there's talk about permanently grounding the fleet? Thats B******T! And with all of the new components and refurbishing and everything, Columbia was pretty much brand new... age had nothing to do with it. And they weren't worried at all about the piece of external tank foam that fell off during launch. They thought it might have struck the left wing, but they weren't worried about the damage, it was supposed to be nil.. so I highly doubt thats what caused it.
This is a sad day.[/b][/quote]
I'm sure the fleet will be grounded much like it was after Challenger. but i doubt it will be permanant. unless the x-35 (i think that was its designation) is finally ready to replace the shuttle fleet.
[b]
I had that same problem, i was just talkign to my wife and could only remember Columbia, Challenger, Endevour and Atlantis. i forgot all about Discovery.
I thought that after the Challenger they should have refit Enterprise for spaceflight. and i did hear rumors that there is another shuttle being built, but i dunno about that.
[/b][/quote]
Yeah, I was talking to mine as well.
[b]It's highly unlikely that it was a heat shield failure resulting from the insulation debris at lift-off. The processes and procedures for assessing post-liftoff damage are excrutiating, and you getter believe if there was an issue, it would have been known and addressed well before the Shuttle was allowed to commit to re-entry.
[/b][/quote]
Regardless, there WAS a piece of insulation that fell off during lift-off, and it hit the wing of the shuttle. And the heat tiles on the shuttle are VERY VERY brittle. I NASA said there wasn't any damage, though. I just hope that doesn't come back and bite them in the ass.
Though it could also be something like orbital debris hitting the shuttle.
Coincidentally, Rick, the Challenger disaster was one of the things that made me get MY engineering degree, too.
[quote]They are saying on NBC that a NORAD early warning sat recorded a heat spike at the same location and time as the shuttle..indicating an expolosion[/quote]
That doesn't really indicate an explosion per se. A heat spike could easily be the result of a breakup of the shuttle (not a literal explosion), since unshielded parts of the shuttle would start to heat up.
[This message has been edited by samuelk (edited 02-01-2003).]
[b] Yeah, I was talking to mine as well.
[/b][/quote]
I dunno why i can never remember Discovery. For some reason, that one seems to leak out of my brain
But yes, a piece of space sand could have cracked a tile..
My God, is all I can say.