A good link...
Most interesting part to me:
____________________________________
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8:59am ET
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A message from Mission Control about low tire pressure:
?Columbia, Houston. We see your tire pressure messages and
we did not copy your last.?
Commander Husband:
?Roger, uh ...?
The transmission goes silent for several seconds, followed by
static. This would be the last communication with Columbia or
its crew.
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9:00am ET
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The shuttle is 39 miles over central Texas at this time.
NASA PAO:
?Columbia out of communications at present with Mission
Control as it continues its course towards Florida.?
Agonizing moments go by while mission controllers frantically
try to restore communication with the shuttle.
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9:06am ET
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Mission Control:
?Columbia, Houston. Comm check??
Columbia breaks apart over Dallas, ......
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6-7 minutes from Loss of Communication to Break Up? I don't know how accurate this is, but I would have thought that once things start going wrong at 210,000' / M18 they go wrong very quickly, and until I saw the above, I presumed this process took a few seconds at most.
Maybe by 9:06 they mean the first reports, or confirmation? However, I am sure it will be cleared up - some of the film footage probably has a time stamp....
NoD