Shuttle Columbia breaks up during re-enry
Supercalifragilistic
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expialidocious
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ISS
Ranger One
I'd not realised this was not an ISS mission.
You are right about the using Soyuz, I did not mean to suggest that they were stranded.
I was thinking of the crew there - it's a long way from home.
I'd not realised this was not an ISS mission.
You are right about the using Soyuz, I did not mean to suggest that they were stranded.
I was thinking of the crew there - it's a long way from home.
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Condolences to the crew and their families.........Let us hope that their tragic deaths does not discourage the further exploration of space. Exploration can never be entirely without danger, as I am sure all on board were aware. My guess is that their wish would be a safer but continuing space programme.
I salute their courage....may they rest in peace.......
I salute their courage....may they rest in peace.......
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All channels seem to be peddling the terrorist theories due to the Israeli being on board.
CNN have showed the first pictures of the ordinary contrail through the atmosphere (at about 200,000 ft) and then what seems to be a few additional multiple contrails, losing speed behind the main body of the orbiter. About 15 seconds later many other separate contrails were created from the main body, but all moving towards the east.
This is the first NASA spacecraft that has been lost on atmosphere re-entry.
CNN have showed the first pictures of the ordinary contrail through the atmosphere (at about 200,000 ft) and then what seems to be a few additional multiple contrails, losing speed behind the main body of the orbiter. About 15 seconds later many other separate contrails were created from the main body, but all moving towards the east.
This is the first NASA spacecraft that has been lost on atmosphere re-entry.
Dancing with the devil, going with the flow... it's all a game to me.
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My deepest condolences go out to all affected.
Their lives were not in vain. Space exploration is everything.
RIP.
Their lives were not in vain. Space exploration is everything.
RIP.
Last edited by VFE; 2nd Feb 2003 at 10:50.
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Nasa Emergency Notice (From www.nasa.gov)
NASA STATEMENT ON LOSS OF COMMUNICATIONS WITH COLUMBIA
A Space Shuttle contingency has been declared in Mission Control, Houston, as a result of the loss of communication with the Space Shuttle Columbia at approximately 9 a.m. EST Saturday as it descended toward a landing at the Kennedy Space Center, Fla. It was scheduled to touchdown at 9:16 a.m. EST.
Communication and tracking of the shuttle was lost at 9 a.m. EST at an altitude of about 203,000 feet in the area above north central Texas. At the time communications were lost. The shuttle was traveling approximately 12,500 miles per hour (Mach 18). No communication and tracking information were received in Mission Control after that time.
Search and rescue teams in the Dallas-Fort Worth and in portions of East Texas have been alerted. Any debris that is located in the area that may be related to the Space Shuttle contingency should be avoided and may be hazardous as a result of toxic propellants used aboard the shuttle. The location of any possible debris should immediately be reported to local authorities.
Flight controllers in Mission Control have secured all information, notes and data pertinent to today's entry and landing by Space Shuttle Columbia and continue to methodically proceed through contingency plans.
News media covering the Space Shuttle should stay tuned to NASA Television, which is broadcast on AMC-2, transponder 9C, C-Band, located at 85 degrees West longitude. The frequency is 3880.0 MHz. Polarization is vertical and audio is monaural at 6.8 MHz. Reporters can also go to any NASA center newsroom to monitor the situation.
New information, including the times and locations of press briefings, will be posted to this page.
Ad Ardua Ped Astra
(A rough road leads to the Stars)
Matty
NASA STATEMENT ON LOSS OF COMMUNICATIONS WITH COLUMBIA
A Space Shuttle contingency has been declared in Mission Control, Houston, as a result of the loss of communication with the Space Shuttle Columbia at approximately 9 a.m. EST Saturday as it descended toward a landing at the Kennedy Space Center, Fla. It was scheduled to touchdown at 9:16 a.m. EST.
Communication and tracking of the shuttle was lost at 9 a.m. EST at an altitude of about 203,000 feet in the area above north central Texas. At the time communications were lost. The shuttle was traveling approximately 12,500 miles per hour (Mach 18). No communication and tracking information were received in Mission Control after that time.
Search and rescue teams in the Dallas-Fort Worth and in portions of East Texas have been alerted. Any debris that is located in the area that may be related to the Space Shuttle contingency should be avoided and may be hazardous as a result of toxic propellants used aboard the shuttle. The location of any possible debris should immediately be reported to local authorities.
Flight controllers in Mission Control have secured all information, notes and data pertinent to today's entry and landing by Space Shuttle Columbia and continue to methodically proceed through contingency plans.
News media covering the Space Shuttle should stay tuned to NASA Television, which is broadcast on AMC-2, transponder 9C, C-Band, located at 85 degrees West longitude. The frequency is 3880.0 MHz. Polarization is vertical and audio is monaural at 6.8 MHz. Reporters can also go to any NASA center newsroom to monitor the situation.
New information, including the times and locations of press briefings, will be posted to this page.
Ad Ardua Ped Astra
(A rough road leads to the Stars)
Matty
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It may be the wrong time to ask, but why does what is effectively a glider produce a contrail? I thought it was the condensation of the exhaust vapours from an engine which caused them.
Apart from all that, a very sad day. I can still remember walking into my university college on the day the Shuttle exploded. One of those fixed in your mind.
Apart from all that, a very sad day. I can still remember walking into my university college on the day the Shuttle exploded. One of those fixed in your mind.
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A sad day. Lifting our heads to the stars we run risks, but it has been said we could do no else. May their God walk with the families in this difficult time.
Lots of talk from the US about possible terrorist involvement, I think they need to talk to someone in the know before they go any further. At 200,000 and Mach 18 nothing could have got anywhere near them apart from the yet to be developed US missle shield.
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Any Shuttle Experts...
Does the shuttle "lose comms" for a period during reentry like the earlier US spacecraft i.e. did this one just fail to reappear on comms at designated time, or does it not suffer from the same problem?
NoD
Does the shuttle "lose comms" for a period during reentry like the earlier US spacecraft i.e. did this one just fail to reappear on comms at designated time, or does it not suffer from the same problem?
NoD
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eyeinthesky:
I think Contrails are the wrong word. What you see is a stream of Ionised air caused by the intense heat of re-entry. At night it glows. Obviously in this case, it could also be smoke, propellant etc.
NigelOnDraft:
As far as i am aware, yes, the shuttle does lose comms, for about 15 mins i think (but im not sure about that figure). Again, caused by the ionised air creating a shield around the shuttle that is inpenetrable for radio waves.
God rest the souls of STS-107. May they find peace in the stars
Matty
I think Contrails are the wrong word. What you see is a stream of Ionised air caused by the intense heat of re-entry. At night it glows. Obviously in this case, it could also be smoke, propellant etc.
NigelOnDraft:
As far as i am aware, yes, the shuttle does lose comms, for about 15 mins i think (but im not sure about that figure). Again, caused by the ionised air creating a shield around the shuttle that is inpenetrable for radio waves.
God rest the souls of STS-107. May they find peace in the stars
Matty
Debris Picture -- NYTimes
Andrew D. Brosig/The Daily Sentinel via A.P.
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Thanks for the replies...
Is going to make the investigation very difficult I would think. All telemetry (presumably) also lost in this period, and I cannot see any FDR surviving unless it really is super-protected.
NoD
Is going to make the investigation very difficult I would think. All telemetry (presumably) also lost in this period, and I cannot see any FDR surviving unless it really is super-protected.
NoD
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An absolutely tragic loss, lets hope that space exploration will continue so that we may continue the work for which these 7 brave astronauts lost thier lives.
Rest In Peace STS-107.
Rest In Peace STS-107.
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NOD, there is no onboard FDR. There is, however, an operational voice recorder in the cockpit, and NASA did recover this from Challenger, and did prepare a transcript. The last words on the released Challenger transcript were "uh oh". My understanding is that the voice recorder covers the entire mission from before liftoff until landing.
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Thanks for that...
Again though, unless exceptionally protected, I doubt this would survive? Even if it did, suspect everything happened very quickly. Presume the whole flight relies on telemetry, which for this period was I assume not available...
NoD
Again though, unless exceptionally protected, I doubt this would survive? Even if it did, suspect everything happened very quickly. Presume the whole flight relies on telemetry, which for this period was I assume not available...
NoD