Houston we have a problem!

February 1, 2003 6:23 AM

Houston we have a problem! At 9:00am EST communication was lost with space shuttle Columbia. The touch down should have been occurred at 9:16am.
posted by MzB (450 comments total)

Seems to be fine now, according to CNN.
posted by CrazyJub at 6:26 AM on February 1, 2003

I was just about to post this. Right now there are declaring the shuttle has been lost.
posted by jasonspaceman at 6:26 AM on February 1, 2003

Ok, now it's bad.
Crap.
posted by CrazyJub at 6:28 AM on February 1, 2003

CNN has the story.
posted by MzB at 6:29 AM on February 1, 2003

News story here.

Emergency procedures are in place now to perserve data to determine what has happened.

Mission control looks unusally calm.
posted by jasonspaceman at 6:29 AM on February 1, 2003

Oh my god, I read this and thought someone had double posted about Challenger.....
posted by saintsguy at 6:32 AM on February 1, 2003

.
posted by PrinceValium at 6:33 AM on February 1, 2003

From the video playing on every channel it's clear that it broke up into multiple pieces and started to burn. Those heat-shielding tiles have always been a concern, AFAIK. I recall hearing that losing only a couple in a critical area could be catastrophic.

Reports are also coming in from the Palestine, Texas area of "a large impact" being heard, but that may be unrelated.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 6:39 AM on February 1, 2003

Nasa officials are asking people not to pick up any pieces they may find. There will not be any survivors - it was travelling at 14000 m/hr when it broke up.
posted by hannahkitty at 6:42 AM on February 1, 2003

related links:

Israel's First Astronaut, Ilan Ramon

Write-up about the astronauts
posted by jasonspaceman at 6:44 AM on February 1, 2003

it`s live on cnn & it`s clear the shuttle has broken up; i`m watching the video feed of a breaking shuttle: pieces streaking thru a blue sky. they are surely gone, all seven astronauts, gone.
posted by n o i s e s at 6:44 AM on February 1, 2003

For those of you not familiar with Palestine, Palestine is SE of DFW, where the soon to be famous footage was shot. The shuttle was on its way to Cape Canaveral so I suppose that Palestine would be a possible location for debris as the shuttle was about 200K+ feet up at breakup.

Palestine

BTW, I was listening to MSNBC when they had "Ira Petty", NASA "spokesperson" on. He said something and then mentioned Howard Stern being on board at which point MSNBC promptly switched coverage to something else. Did some prankster spoof himself as Ira Petty? Did anyone else hear this?
posted by yangwar at 6:45 AM on February 1, 2003

Official NASA Page about STS-107
posted by jasonspaceman at 6:46 AM on February 1, 2003

oh my.
posted by Espoo2 at 6:47 AM on February 1, 2003

Nobody has any video feeds, do they? I'm at work without TV.
posted by ajpresto at 6:48 AM on February 1, 2003

another israeli in palestine
posted by n o i s e s at 6:49 AM on February 1, 2003

Requiem aeternum donum Dominie, et lux perpetua luceat eis.

Mrs. Alums is on the list for the Teacher In Space program.
posted by alumshubby at 6:49 AM on February 1, 2003

Terrible news. Even more amazingly, check out this prewrite from the Washington Post, which has quotes from the shuttle crew and claims that the Columbia landed without problems!
posted by ed at 6:49 AM on February 1, 2003

ajpresto, there's not much to report right now. Not even NASA seem to know what's happened, although there is a video playing over showing debris flying across the sky over Texas. Makes it pretty clear that Columbia has exploded.
posted by chill at 6:52 AM on February 1, 2003

actually ed, it doesn't claim that at all. It has quotes via radio from the shuttle crew and says it "streaked toward" a landing.

Oh shit.
posted by Vidiot at 6:53 AM on February 1, 2003

CNN just updated their site with this:

On launch day, a piece of insulating foam on the external fuel tank came off during liftoff and was believed to have struck the left wing of the shuttle. NASA said as late as Friday that the damage to the thermal tiles was believed to be minor and posed no safety concern during the fiery decent through the atmosphere.

Hm.
posted by Slithy_Tove at 6:53 AM on February 1, 2003

Oh my god, that is very sad. Not what space exploration needs right now.
posted by riffola at 6:53 AM on February 1, 2003

i`m deeply sorry. it`s a horrible thing.
posted by n o i s e s at 6:54 AM on February 1, 2003

From Ha'aretz:

Ilan Ramon, a colonel in Israel's air force and former fighter pilot, became the first man from his country to fly in space, and his presence resulted in an increase in security, not only for Columbia's January 16 launch, but also for its landing. Space agency officials feared his presence might make the shuttle more of a terrorist target.
posted by anewc2 at 6:57 AM on February 1, 2003

Stern's underlings, especially Stuttering John, have actual jobs trying to get on the air during breaking-news events.

Columbia is -- was -- NASA's oldest shuttle, the first one built after Enterprise. It had the heaviest metal frame. There is talk that a wing may have been damaged during the launch by foam insulation from the nose cone of the external tank, and that would roughly be consistent with a structural failure during re-entry. In this kind of situation, though, we may have trouble determining with the same degree of certainty as Challenger what caused the break-up; most of the evidence will simply burn up.

God. I think this is going to mean the end of the space program for the foreseeable future.
posted by dhartung at 6:57 AM on February 1, 2003

For those of you looking for video, there are some live news feeds maybe with footage/maybe without. There are some links on the /. comments page. Get them while they last
posted by yangwar at 6:59 AM on February 1, 2003

MSNBC is reporting "Shuttle explodes over Texas". This is very, very hard to take.
posted by Songdog at 7:03 AM on February 1, 2003

just what the hell were they doing up there & shouldn`t these things be unmanned drones by now??

i fear for those where the debris has landed... the full colour horror of live news pictures from the crash site can be only minutes away.
posted by n o i s e s at 7:04 AM on February 1, 2003

They are saying the astronauts have parachutes and if the crew capsule had separated....but I think that is wishful thinking.

Crapcrapcrap.
posted by konolia at 7:05 AM on February 1, 2003

Stern's underlings, especially Stuttering John, have actual jobs trying to get on the air during breaking-news events.

It's sick.
posted by Vidiot at 7:05 AM on February 1, 2003

Cant find a video of the explosion yet, but here is mission control at msnbc.com.
posted by Espoo2 at 7:06 AM on February 1, 2003

noises, the debris will probably be minimal as re-entry is very hot. Most of the debris will have most likely disintegrated.

As for the ejection system, the astronauts would have been up to high for even to use the ejection system.

Most likely they re-entered orbit at a bad angle.
posted by jasonspaceman at 7:08 AM on February 1, 2003

the worst thing to happen to the best people -- my sympathies for the families and friends...

not what the world needs right now...
posted by ruwan at 7:09 AM on February 1, 2003

no, i suspect that this`ll not be the end of the space program, dhartung, but surely the begining of a shiny new & fully automated space program.
posted by n o i s e s at 7:10 AM on February 1, 2003

Well that's the nuclear power idea back another 50 years. This is terrible for us all.
posted by Pretty_Generic at 7:10 AM on February 1, 2003

One of my good friends trains astronauts for weightlessness in an underwater scuba diving environment in Houston. (I believe she comes to metafilter sometimes too)... I'm quite certain she knew all of them very well.

Very strange events today.
posted by Espoo2 at 7:10 AM on February 1, 2003

When I read the first posts in this thread I thought everyone was *pretending* it had broken up. This is terrible.
posted by mecran01 at 7:11 AM on February 1, 2003

To early to speculate but that never stopped us before.

Some thoughts:

No way it could have been a terrorist. It was too high when it exploded to be a missle target.

The crew in the space station will be able to get down via Soyuz capsule but what will happen the station now? I'm sure the shuttle will be grounded for a long time.
posted by bondcliff at 7:11 AM on February 1, 2003

The post has already pulled the article linked earlier.

I'm so deeply sorry to see this.
posted by onhazier at 7:11 AM on February 1, 2003

Some maroon just used the word "sabotage" on the phone while talking to a reporter on MSNBC. Geeze. All in all, sad story. It'll be a long time before we fid out what really happened to the shuttle - foam or not, hold your horses and wait and see.

The shuttle has definately been lost.

NASA: "due to the loss... landing planned at 816am.... 200000 feet all comm was lost... including tracking data.... search teams have been sent out.... all debrise must not be touched and nasa notified... all comm lost at 8am.... nasa out" (me paraphrase).
posted by tomplus2 at 7:12 AM on February 1, 2003

n o i s e s asked:
just what the hell were they doing up there & shouldn`t these things be unmanned drones by now??

from cnn.com:
The mission, dedicated strictly to scientific research, is a rare space shuttle flight that does not stop at the international space station. During the 16-day trip, the seven-person crew of the shuttle Columbia is working around-the-clock on more than 80 experiments.

Sort of hard to perform specific experiments (on small animals & insects & the effects on them in space, etc) without actual people on board.

By & large, the shuttle missions have been very safe and highly successful. People said after the Challenger tragedy that it would be the end of manned space flight. It wasn't. I don't think that this will be either, though it's true that it'll probably go on a long hiatus.

I don't have the same knotted, sick feeling in my stomach that I had on that morning in 1986, but then, I'm not nine any more, and I'm not watching it happen over and over and over on the TVs at school (just listening on NPR). Still... I'm terribly sad. So many memories came flooding back when the news first broke -- memories that hadn't come back from reading the Challenger anniversary news stories.
posted by dryad at 7:13 AM on February 1, 2003

A sad & tragic timeline STS-107 Columbia landing journal.
posted by madamjujujive at 7:13 AM on February 1, 2003

Well, the crawl on CNN has declared that it is "unlikely" that it is terrorism, which I agree with.

Miles O'Brien circled the debris falling out immediately before explosion on CNN. That could have been the precursor to the explosion.

On preview: I still see the article from the Washington Post (AP, actually) posted just 32 minutes before they lost contact.
posted by calwatch at 7:14 AM on February 1, 2003

How many people are still at the station and how will they be coming back? What's this mean for the station? Guess I'm directing this all to you Dan.
posted by y2karl at 7:15 AM on February 1, 2003

bbc world: nasa warns any debris seen in north central texas may be toxic.

what was it carrying??
posted by n o i s e s at 7:15 AM on February 1, 2003

btw, you can see live video at nasa tv.
posted by tomplus2 at 7:16 AM on February 1, 2003

video of debris here.
posted by Espoo2 at 7:17 AM on February 1, 2003

It wasn't carrying anything toxic - they said it was due to the toxicity of some of the chemicals used as propelants.
posted by stevengarrity at 7:17 AM on February 1, 2003

No way it could have been a terrorist. It was too high when it exploded to be a missle target.

But the focus, since there was structural damage on liftoff, would be on possible sabotage before the launch.

If the Challenger was an anomaly, this makes it a trend. This will almost certainly damage public confidence and support of the space program.

noises: Regardless of what it was carrying, the propellent used for liftoff and reentry is some nasty stuff.. not exactly sure what but it is definitely not Kool-aid for anyone exposed to it.
posted by PrinceValium at 7:17 AM on February 1, 2003

The shuttle is full of toxic chemicals associated with the life-support systems and rocket engines. Every time the shuttle lands it's approached very carefully and the chemicals are bled off.
posted by Vidiot at 7:18 AM on February 1, 2003

yskarl, there are other shuttles to use.
posted by jasonspaceman at 7:18 AM on February 1, 2003

Oops. everyone beat me to my comment about the toxicity of the debris.
posted by dryad at 7:19 AM on February 1, 2003

Family in East Texas say that there was a sonic boom that shook their house, presumed to be the shuttle or a part of it. They said it lasted for several seconds, and they had never heard anything like it.
posted by Espoo2 at 7:19 AM on February 1, 2003

blue mefi & blue nasa skies. i feel for the families who must watch in horror just like the rest of us.
posted by n o i s e s at 7:19 AM on February 1, 2003

3 people on the station. There is a Russian capsule permanently parked there should they need to leave. They can get to/from the station via Soyuz but the shuttle is the only vehicle for construction.
posted by bondcliff at 7:19 AM on February 1, 2003

vidiot: True enough about the "streak."

Do any North Central Texas MeFites have any news on the debris? I hope there aren't any further casualties.
posted by ed at 7:20 AM on February 1, 2003

Bloody hell! It's horrible. I think I was 12 when the Challenger happened...

It would be nice if we could start another thread for the speculation (much of it is going to be tacky, yes) and leave this one for news updates. I personally doubt very much it's got anything to do with terrorism, but the questions will be asked...
posted by GrahamVM at 7:20 AM on February 1, 2003

NBC TV has video of the pieces falling, not sure if they've put it online.

Time to pray for those that do so.
posted by tommasz at 7:22 AM on February 1, 2003

y2karl: Three members on ISS: Expedition Six crew (Google cache). No word yet on how this will affect them; a Russian cargo ship was to dock on Tuesday to bring supplies.

A sad day for spaceflight.
posted by skyboy at 7:22 AM on February 1, 2003

google news is surprisingly slow in getting any of this.
posted by Espoo2 at 7:22 AM on February 1, 2003

"It was like a car hitting the house or an explosion. It shook that much."
posted by ed at 7:23 AM on February 1, 2003

Some guy on CNN is reporting that a plane was near by! Shit, I hope it's coincidence.
posted by ed at 7:24 AM on February 1, 2003

Witness Benjamin Lester in Central Texas reporting plane.
posted by ed at 7:25 AM on February 1, 2003

God damn I hate breaking news. Some yokel on CNN is saying he saw a commercial jet near the shuttle before it exploded. Commercial jets don't fly at 200,000 feet, moron.
posted by bondcliff at 7:26 AM on February 1, 2003

It was far too recently that I was reading the thread about the Challenger; I was in anatomy class 17 years ago; I was laying in bed listening to NPR today.
posted by TedW at 7:26 AM on February 1, 2003

God, and we were just talking about the Challenger the other day. Another where you when day...
posted by y2karl at 7:27 AM on February 1, 2003

I was just getting ready to go to sleep when this hit the screen.

I don't think I'll be sleeping for a while.
posted by Inkslinger at 7:27 AM on February 1, 2003

m_c_d
Reports are also coming in from the Palestine, Texas area of "a large impact" being heard, but that may be unrelated.

if that wasn't true, then it would probably have been the blackest joke i have ever heard.
posted by kickingtheground at 7:28 AM on February 1, 2003

Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia - all within a week (different years obviously)
posted by edh at 7:29 AM on February 1, 2003

I was getting ready for the Gasparilla Parade. Was supposed to be a big one, the Bucs won the Super Bowl. I don't feel like going now. This is awful. My prayers go out to the families involved.
posted by RunsWithBandageScissors at 7:30 AM on February 1, 2003

I personally seriously doubt this will put any major hiatus on the space program. There will be some down time due to investigation. But according to that article that the Washington Post will regret, the next launch is scheduled for March.

If anything, this will probably increase the scheduling for 100% reusable space vehicles. Trying not to make lite of anything, but having a space vehicle that mostly burns up upon use is so '80s.
posted by mychai at 7:31 AM on February 1, 2003

For all folks watching the breaking news feeds, be aware that there is almost certainly a no-fly over the impact area, and choppers won't have any footage. We're going to be sitting on speculation for hours.
posted by PrinceValium at 7:31 AM on February 1, 2003

Columbia Astronauts Remember Challenger
Space shuttle Columbia's astronauts briefly interrupted their science work on the 17th anniversary of the Challenger disaster to remember their fallen comrades. (4) NASA's work force, in orbit and on Earth, observed a moment of silence Tuesday at the exact time that Challenger exploded in the sky Jan. 28, 1986. (4) Ten bells tolled on the ground, one for each of the seven astronauts killed in the Challenger explosion and the three who died aboard Apollo One in 1967 flash fire on the launch pad. (3) In a statement to mission control, shuttle commander Rick Husband and Columbia's six other astronauts, including Israel's first astronaut, paid homage to their fallen colleagues.
posted by konolia at 7:32 AM on February 1, 2003

karl, the Station is currently manned by one Russian astronaut (Budarin) and two Americans (Pettit and Bowersox). They are scheduled to remain on board through March 1, when the Atlantis was to bring up the expedition 7 crew and an MPLM logistics module, as well as consumables such as fresh water and food; it is unlikely they will remain even that long, now, even if their supplies would have lasted. Because of NASA's concern for safety margins, they may be ordered home almost immediately, using the Soyuz crew return vehicle. The Soyuz was due to be swapped out in late April (they have a six-month on-orbit lifetime).

The ISS had just begun construction of the main truss, which will hold the major solar arrays and cooling systems, and its completion -- with as many as four flights by the end of year -- would have been the major task of 2003.
posted by dhartung at 7:33 AM on February 1, 2003

Jesus. I was up all night, about to go to sleep, decided to check Google News before sleeping... now, how can I sleep?

It's truly horrifying hearing the Mission Control folks reporting so professionally about a "shuttle contingency," knowing what that means.
posted by litlnemo at 7:33 AM on February 1, 2003

Not again :( Please, not again...

Space is a very dangerous job. These astronauts are true heroes. My condolences to all of their families.
posted by Soliloquy at 7:34 AM on February 1, 2003

Does anyone have a duty roster?
posted by konolia at 7:34 AM on February 1, 2003

The "plane near the shuttle" report is probably true, and it was probably a USAF chase plane checking up on the STS...
posted by costas at 7:34 AM on February 1, 2003

This is so sad.
posted by Tarrama at 7:35 AM on February 1, 2003

I personally seriously doubt this will put any major hiatus on the space program.

Where you around in 1986? I think it was two years before another one was launched.

This is the second failed shuttle out of five. A large portion of the public thinks the manned space program is a waste of money. Other than us geeks, few people actually care about it.

I honestly think this could bring an end, for a long time, to the manned space program. I certainly hope not.
posted by bondcliff at 7:35 AM on February 1, 2003

I doubt this will kill the US human spaceflight program -- if only for psychological reasons...the goal will be to get flying again.
posted by Vidiot at 7:37 AM on February 1, 2003

CNN is reporting this was the 113th flight for all shuttles combined. I am an aero engineer and we take our superstitions seriously... within a week of the Challenger anniversary, 1-13... damn, damn.
posted by costas at 7:38 AM on February 1, 2003

From Florida Today: (thanks madamjujujive for a great link)

NASA's contingency board is meeting at this moment to discuss what happened. Johnson Space Center will release a statement shortly, we are being told. And a press conference should follow. Administrator Sean O'Keefe was on site today for the landing but is not clear yet whether the press will get access to him to discuss the incident.
posted by Vidiot at 7:38 AM on February 1, 2003

bondicliff - leaving China to take up the baton....?
posted by edh at 7:39 AM on February 1, 2003

bondcliff: It wasn't a commercial jet, but if other witnesses confirm another flying object or "a plane," it might be worth looking into, even if it's most likely a piece of the Columbia.
posted by ed at 7:40 AM on February 1, 2003

Sidebar: It was Febraury of 1962 when John Glenn road the fiery Friendship 7 back to earth.
posted by Dick Paris at 7:40 AM on February 1, 2003

leaving China to take up the baton....?

Very possibly.

I wonder whose flag will touch down on Mars first?
posted by bondcliff at 7:41 AM on February 1, 2003

Rick Husband has just one other space flight under his belt and already he’s flying as commander. That’s a rarity. "I think a lot of it has to do with being in the right place at the right time, for starters," says Husband, 45, an Air Force colonel from Amarillo, Texas. The former test pilot was selected as an astronaut in 1994 on his fourth try. Space flight has been his lifelong passion, along with singing. Husband, a baritone, has barbershop quartet experience and has been singing in church choirs for years

William McCool says one of the most nerve-racking parts of training was learning to draw blood — from others. Columbia’s two pilots are exempted from invasive medical tests in orbit, like blood draws. That means he and his commander have to draw blood from their crewmates. McCool felt bad practicing on volunteers. "I didn’t want to inflict pain," he recalls. The Navy commander and former test pilot became an astronaut in 1996. This is the first space flight for McCool, 41, who grew up in Lubbock, Texas.

Michael Anderson loves flying, both in aircraft and spacecraft, but he dislikes being launched. It’s the risk factor. "There’s always that unknown," he says. Anderson, 43, the son of an Air Force man, grew up on military bases. He was flying for the Air Force when NASA chose him in 1994 as one of only a handful of black astronauts. He traveled to Russia’s Mir space station in 1998. He is now a lieutenant colonel and in charge of Columbia’s dozens of science experiments. His home is Spokane, Wash.

Kalpana Chawla wanted to design aircraft when she emigrated to the United States from India in the 1980s. The space program was the furthest thing from her mind. But "one thing led to another," the 41-year-old engineer said, and she was chosen as an astronaut in 1994. On her only other space flight, in 1996, Chawla made mistakes that sent a satellite tumbling out of control, and two spacewalkers had to go out and capture it. She realizes some may see this flight as her chance to redeem herself.


David Brown is a Navy novelty: He’s both a jet pilot and a doctor. He’s also probably the only NASA astronaut to have worked as a circus acrobat. (It was a summer job during college.) He says what he learned about "the teamwork and the safety and the staying focused" has carried over to his space job. He joined the Navy after his medical internship, and his current rank is captain. NASA chose him as an astronaut in 1996. This is the 46-year-old Virginia native's first space flight.

Laurel Clark, a Navy physician who worked undersea, likens the numerous launch delays to a marathon in which the finish line keeps moving out five miles. "You’ve got to slow back down and maintain a pace," she says. The 41-year-old Clark was a diving medical officer aboard submarines and then a naval flight surgeon. She became an astronaut in 1996. Clark will help with Columbia’s science experiments, which should have flown almost two years ago. Her hometown is Racine, Wis.

Ilan Ramon, a colonel in Israel’s air force, is the first Israeli to be launched into space. "It’s a very symbolic mission," he says. His mother and grandmother survived the Auschwitz death camp, and his father was a Zionist who fought for Israel’s statehood. The astronaut also fought for his country, in the Yom Kippur War in 1973 and the Lebanon War in 1982. Ramon, 48, was selected as an astronaut in 1997 and moved to Houston in 1998 to train for a shuttle flight. He calls Tel Aviv home.
posted by Espoo2 at 7:42 AM on February 1, 2003

Similar to the above Florida Today link, here's another minute by minute account of the Shuttle.
posted by calwatch at 7:42 AM on February 1, 2003

ABC is reporting that we'll hear from Pres. Bush this afternoon, but "NASA will go first."
posted by Vidiot at 7:44 AM on February 1, 2003

Shuttle disaster? Money in the bank!
posted by rcade at 7:45 AM on February 1, 2003

They've had a pretty amazing safety record. In the early years of the space race we lost quite a few rockets and quite a few lives as well.

This is a time to mourn, but also one in which to reflect on the flawless record since the last lost shuttle. (compared to the 70000 deaths caused by automobile accidents each yet...)
posted by tomplus2 at 7:45 AM on February 1, 2003

Bondcliff, I unfortunately agree with you. This could be an even bigger blow to the space prgram than Challenger was. In the case of the Challenger they were able to determine with some certainty the cause of the disaster and fix it; with Columbia breaking up at 200K feet and 16K mph, there will be little usable evidence. On top of that the space shuttle fleet is aging, there is no replacement vehicle very far along in development, and the government is on a tight budget these days. I hope I am wrong, but I fear it will be a very long time before Americans are in space again. Perhaps China's recent forays into space will spur us on.
posted by TedW at 7:46 AM on February 1, 2003

Live feed from the BBC
posted by Orange Goblin at 7:46 AM on February 1, 2003

WFAA, the Dallas/Ft. Worth television station currently providing CNN with video, has online streaming video of its own coverage that might be easier to access than the NASA TV streams (which are currently being hammered.)
posted by Inkslinger at 7:46 AM on February 1, 2003

Oh, semi-professional opinion (used to be an aero engineer): this will most likely kill the US manned flight program, unless it's considered a matter of national pride. STS are an expensive fleet to keep up and their fixed maintainance costs just went up by 25% (sorry that this sounds terribly cynical).

Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavor are now some of the most expensive means of transportation in the world. NASA has been looking for an STS replacement for years, and nothing came out of that (as the X-30 was cancelled not too long ago). The US does not have a manned capsule program or operational space-planes.

Since this was the worst case scenario from an engineering point-of-view (reentry for the shuttle is an amazing feat of engineering), I can guess that NASA will have to re-test and re-certify the remaining three shuttles all over again, which will add to their enormous cost of operation. I don't think STS will be killed altogether, but effectively this puts it on life support. The bigger question is what happens with the ISS; the Russian Soyuz can't really do much, the STS will be grounded indefinitely... maybe get the Chinese to lend a hand?...
posted by costas at 7:46 AM on February 1, 2003

I live in Dallas. My sister-in-law called me and I went outside and saw it coming down. It was coming down at a high rate of speed SE of Dallas. I also saw a jet going very fast toward that area. Did not hear any noise, just saw it coming down. Terrible to see and realize it was the shuttle.
posted by razzuli at 7:47 AM on February 1, 2003

Vidiot, deep within the white house they are apparently furiously programming bush the puppet to tonight attempt to address the `nation.`

he`s gonna have to soften his war tone tonight, isn`t he?
posted by n o i s e s at 7:48 AM on February 1, 2003

for those away from a tv here's a stream from khou [real] in houston. they're are picking up the cbs natl coverage right now.

re: the plane spotted. there probaby was a commercial plane in the area but 170,000 feet closer to the ground.
posted by birdherder at 7:48 AM on February 1, 2003

dhartung made an informative comment regarding Columbia (STS-1) a while back.

"Columbia, the oldest shuttle (it was STS-1), is also the heaviest because the superstructure, especially in the delta wing, was buiilt stronger than needed. This makes it incapable of flying to the roughly 212-mile orbital altitude of the space station."
posted by riffola at 7:49 AM on February 1, 2003

I think the Chinese aren't far along enough, probably -- they still haven't done ANY manned spaceflight. ESA, the European Space Agency, has only done it under the aegis of NASA but is probably in a better position.

rcade, that's depressing that someone thinks to register the domain immediately upon hearing the news.
posted by Vidiot at 7:50 AM on February 1, 2003

There's got to be at least one more space shuttle launch, relatively soon - to take the space station crew back to earth. Surely they're not going to use the escape pods?
posted by Pretty_Generic at 7:51 AM on February 1, 2003

My prayers for the crew.

Furthermore, as before, it's going to be the net that will provide the most source of information: everyone ought to keep their eyes open for that missing shuttle - though apparently one should keep one's distance from the debris.

I bet NASA could use your help down there in the South. It's gotta be somewhere.

This is just awful. I was listening live when Challenger exploded, and I'm just sick about those on board. I hope by some miracle that they survived, though by all accounts, they couldn't possibly.

Ugh. All I could think about in 1986 was that Christa McAuliffe's family was watching.
posted by mirla at 7:51 AM on February 1, 2003

NASA news conference expected at 11:30a Eastern Time.
posted by Vidiot at 7:52 AM on February 1, 2003

Vidiot, the Chinese will put a man in space long before we ever do again.
posted by bondcliff at 7:52 AM on February 1, 2003

this will surely push back yankie designs on iraqi oil beyond february.
posted by n o i s e s at 7:52 AM on February 1, 2003

I heard the explosion this morning (my husband and I live just west of Fort Worth). It literally sounded like someone ran their car into our garage door. It's not unusual for us to hear strange noises, since Carswell AFB is only about two miles away. This was very different though. We got up to see what was going on and saw the trails across the sky.
posted by moosedogtoo at 7:53 AM on February 1, 2003

noises: soften his war tone? au contraire.
posted by mirla at 7:54 AM on February 1, 2003

This is the second failed shuttle out of five. A large portion of the public thinks the manned space program is a waste of money.

Calling the Columbia a "failed shuttle" would be a misnomer. It has been operating since 1981. I just traded in a 1992 Toyota because it was making weird noises. There is a lot more to go wrong in an STS than a Toyota. So, it is far from being a "failed shuttle."

And the space program consists of less than 1% of the total national budget. Even if it was a waste of money (which it most certainly isn't. Thank the space program, in part, for that that itty-bitty computer you are looking at right now), it wouldn't be a significant waste compared to other money-spending programs going on now.
posted by mychai at 7:54 AM on February 1, 2003

Damn. Damn, damn, damn. This sucks so bad.

I honestly think this could bring an end, for a long time, to the manned space program. I certainly hope not.

I hope the President and Congress show leadership, and keep the shuttle program alive. You are right, there probably will be at least some hiatus before another launch ... but I really hope the program is not ended. I know the NASA folks themselves will never want to end it - they have an intense culture, know the risks, and willingly accept them. They would never stop flying voluntarily. If this disaster puts an end to the program, it will be because Congress pulls funding, not because the brave men and women in Houston don't want to fly. But I am fairly certain Congress will not do something as foolish as ending the program.
posted by MidasMulligan at 7:54 AM on February 1, 2003

Vidiot - China though seem to have unlimited resources, and an overwhelming desire to use them.....
posted by edh at 7:55 AM on February 1, 2003

another Howard Stern caller just got through to Dan Rather. Jerk.
posted by Vidiot at 7:55 AM on February 1, 2003

.
(What Prince Vallium said)
posted by daver at 7:55 AM on February 1, 2003

Another crank call... a caller called Dan Rather a "real idiot" and said that they think the debris in their backyard is one of baba booey's teeth....

Man, Howard Stern isn't looking too good right now.
posted by Espoo2 at 7:57 AM on February 1, 2003

NASA is saying that debris has been sighted in north-central texas, and the Kennedy Space Center flag has been lowered to half-staff. Bush is headed back to White House via motorcade.
posted by Vidiot at 7:58 AM on February 1, 2003

What? the next shuttle missions scrubbed?? surely not. Isn't there a big spacestation up there that needs a little maintenance?
posted by tomplus2 at 7:59 AM on February 1, 2003

I heard the prank call, and I pray that CBS has caller id.
posted by konolia at 8:00 AM on February 1, 2003

Shuttle disaster? Money in the bank!

Time for Metafilter to send [e-mail] a little love.
posted by PrinceValium at 8:01 AM on February 1, 2003

This is so so sad. And now I have a full day ahead of me theatre, somehow I can't help but feel I'm going to be a little distracted. At least I won't be around to watch the thousands of replays of that break up footage on all the cafeterias on campus.

The BBC feed is the best so far, thank you Orange Goblin
posted by nelleish at 8:01 AM on February 1, 2003

CNN at 10:47 EST:

Police in Nacogdoches, Texas, reported "numerous pieces of debris" both inside the city limits and in Nacogdoches County.
posted by anewc2 at 8:02 AM on February 1, 2003

Also coverage on C-SPAN, with family members, and others, grieving on the air. It's also a bit under the radar of Howard Stern, or at least I hope. (Web running about a minute behind of the TV.)
posted by calwatch at 8:02 AM on February 1, 2003

wow, and now I can't even type coherently, my apologies. I need to get away from this computer.
posted by nelleish at 8:02 AM on February 1, 2003

August 2000: Columbia has 3,500 defects in wiring.

CNN, March 2000: "Shrinking NASA budgets and staffing over the years have jeopardized the safety of the agency's space shuttle program, a panel of aerospace experts says. The experts also found signs of overconfidence, complacency and inadequate communication within the program. "
posted by ed at 8:07 AM on February 1, 2003

but mirla, there`s no way a nation in mourning will stomach the bush junta`s war speak right now: sadam & a million iraqi families have just gained another month or so before toxic debris rains upon _their_ homes.
posted by n o i s e s at 8:07 AM on February 1, 2003

Calling the Columbia a "failed shuttle" would be a misnomer. It has been operating since 1981. I just traded in a 1992 Toyota because it was making weird noises. There is a lot more to go wrong in an STS than a Toyota. So, it is far from being a "failed shuttle."

I couldn't agree with you more. Unfortunalty, most of the general public doesn't think like we do.

The Concord made hundreds of flights too. One crash and the majority of the population thinks it's a "death trap."

The media, of course, doesn't help matters.
posted by bondcliff at 8:07 AM on February 1, 2003

oy. that's unhappy news. terribly sad.
posted by mokey at 8:08 AM on February 1, 2003

Could we all politely ask noises to keep on subject or go post somewhere else?
posted by mychai at 8:09 AM on February 1, 2003

Not again.
posted by feelinglistless at 8:09 AM on February 1, 2003

I'd second that motion, mychai.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 8:10 AM on February 1, 2003

The media, of course, doesn't help matters.

Overweening speculation by ANYONE doesn't help matters. Don't forget that "the media" is helping to get the latest information to you as well.
posted by Vidiot at 8:10 AM on February 1, 2003

Man, Howard Stern isn't looking too good right now.

He is to his idiot fans.
posted by bondcliff at 8:11 AM on February 1, 2003

God bless the crew and their families.
posted by caddis at 8:11 AM on February 1, 2003

This is terrible, and I hope it doesn't scuttle the space program.

n o i s e s et al.: Can we please avoid turning this into another Iraq thread?
posted by languagehat at 8:11 AM on February 1, 2003

We pray for one last landing
On the globe that gave us birth;
Let us rest our eyes on friendly skies
And the cool, green hills of Earth.
— Robert A. Heinlein, The Green Hills of Earth

posted by harmful at 8:12 AM on February 1, 2003

MyChai:

I third that motion. Can we give the folks who just died and the event a MODICUM of dignity here, and not use it for political point-grabbing?

JB
posted by JB71 at 8:13 AM on February 1, 2003

CNN reports that Ilan Ramon was one of the IAF pilots that took out the Iraqi nuclear reactor back in '81. That was one of the ballsiest attack missions ever (IAF link, other Israeli link). Damn.
posted by costas at 8:15 AM on February 1, 2003

Dan Rather just said they've spotted the possibly toxic debris in North Central Texas.
posted by mirla at 8:17 AM on February 1, 2003

Jay Barbree, some kind of NASA specialist, said on NBC about the toxic fuel that could be covering debris: "The fumes could cause a membrane to coat the oxygen-absorbing cells in your lungs, causing you to suffocate within 48 hours."

In other words, stay away.
posted by mychai at 8:18 AM on February 1, 2003

It is some small consolation to me that the astronauts were doing something they loved and had a passion for, something that was important. Some of their last work and words were positive, inspired and full of promise. May they rest in peace.

Crew interviews with CNN - story 1/21/03
Shuttle astronauts spot ELF - story 1/21/03
Shuttle Astronauts Tend Roses in Orbit - story 1/23/03
Space shuttle astronauts videotape new arc of light - story 1/23/03
Shuttle astronauts focus on experiments - story 1/26/03
A Wee Bit Of Science And Art On Shuttle - story 1/28/03
Racine astronaut finds space to be magical - story 1/31/03
posted by madamjujujive at 8:21 AM on February 1, 2003

According to NBC news -- US spy satellites essentially caught the explosion happening. "No indication of any kind of outside sourse -- of any kind of foul play -- contributing to the explosion."
posted by mychai at 8:21 AM on February 1, 2003

According to NBC news -- US spy satellites essentially caught the explosion happening. "No indication of any kind of outside source -- of any kind of foul play -- contributing to the explosion."
posted by mychai at 8:21 AM on February 1, 2003

Here is a link to the stations that carry Howard Stern-complete with linked email addys. Feel free to express your opinion.
posted by konolia at 8:22 AM on February 1, 2003

I'm stunned. I've been a fan of the space program for my entire life. I watched Challenger go up in person a few launches before its last mission. I can't believe Columbia is gone.

America can't scrap the space program. We need it. We need it because it transcends barriers between people; we need it because it's eternally hopeful; we need it because it makes us proud of what we can accomplish (and if it doesn't make you proud, it should).

This is heartbreaking.
posted by swerve at 8:23 AM on February 1, 2003

:
The impact seems to be showing on the radar around Dallas and Fort Worth.
posted by thadk at 8:23 AM on February 1, 2003

Fires in Texas towns. Most of the debris is said to likely be in the Corsicana area.
posted by mirla at 8:24 AM on February 1, 2003

I live in Nacogdoches, Texas and local news has been reporting debris within city limits. Nacogodoches is a small town of approx 25k people. The town itself is circular with a diameter of maybe 10 miles. Basically, the debris in my town is less than a 3 minute drive from me.

I heard the windows in this 7 story apt. rattle but other than that I didn't hear or see much.

Here's the link to the local paper. They have a picture of some of the wreckage. Daily Sentinel
posted by yangwar at 8:24 AM on February 1, 2003

Homeland Security Spokesman Gordon Johndroe: "There is no information at this time that this was a terrorist incident. Obviously, the investigation is beginning, but that is the information we have now."
posted by ed at 8:25 AM on February 1, 2003

Pseudoephedrine pointed this out in the other MeFi thread, but it bears noting here:

NASA's official Columbia page already mentions "Crew and Vehicle lost during landing 2/1/03."
posted by Vidiot at 8:25 AM on February 1, 2003

Fox News just reported that Barbara Morgan, Christa McAuliffe's "runner up" who has rejoined astronaut training to hopefully become the first educator-astronaut to have a successful mission, was to fly Columbia in November. I can't imagine what may be going through her mind right now.

On another note, photos are now being broadcast of a large (perhaps 3' x 2') piece of metal debris sitting on what looks like a city sidewalk, somewhere in Texas. The area is cordoned off with police tape and a nervous looking officer is visible in the background, arms outstretched, trying to move onlookers away.

G-d shed grace and comfort on the astronauts' families and all who mourn.

Worth revisiting: "...they 'slipped the surly bonds of earth' to 'touch the face of God.'"
posted by Dreama at 8:27 AM on February 1, 2003

I agree about needing the space program. We just need to do a better job. 2 out of 5 shuttles lost is pretty crappy as statistics go. And as for the human lives lost, even one is too many, in my opinion. We need to do a better job.
posted by mirla at 8:29 AM on February 1, 2003

Perfect, Brennan. Exactly the sentiment I was looking for.

I'd like to suggest that everyone on here who has the "we must continue on" opinion--like me--should run, not walk, to their telephone, and call the White House Comment Office; 202-456-1414. Tell them you'd like to make your opinion known to the president. Make sure you tell them which US Congressional district you live in; it's on your voter registration card if you have one, usually... I'm in the Florida tenth; a phrasing that will be familiar to West Wing fans.

You would be absolutely *amazed* how much impact 500 calls to the White House this morning will have.

And to the astronauts:

<hand salute>

<two>
posted by baylink at 8:29 AM on February 1, 2003

Along the lines of what thadk is reporting, CBS is showing a Doppler radar picture clearly showing the shuttle's smoke plume.
posted by Vidiot at 8:29 AM on February 1, 2003

ok, my apologies for bringing up bush & iraq. i`m glued to cnn international. excuse my ignorance, i`m not american & don`t usually get a chance to watch cnn, but is that dan rather?? whoever he is on cnn, he`s good. i`d recommend cnn over bbc.
posted by n o i s e s at 8:32 AM on February 1, 2003

Here's a radar pic of the area right above my head. Nacogdoches is just north of Lufkin on the map.
posted by yangwar at 8:33 AM on February 1, 2003

Here's a map of where the debris is in relation to other places in Texas.

On preview: the man on CNN America is Miles O'Brien, the normal Saturday CNN morning anchor.
posted by calwatch at 8:34 AM on February 1, 2003

Dan Rather's on CBS. I'm assuming that the person on CNNI is Miles O'Brien, CNN's space correspondent. CNNI is most likely simulcasting CNN/U.S. at the moment. (I work for CNN, but don't have cable at home. Which is why I'm headed into the office soon.)
posted by Vidiot at 8:35 AM on February 1, 2003

thadk --
That's a fantastic link. I just can't tell the difference in what is ground clutter and what is actual -- if it truly is -- falling debris. I work in an NBC-affiliate news station (I'm working right now), and so I see radar screens like this all the time. I never could figure them out. Great link, though.

yangwar -- yours was the first, as far as I'm concerned, to show me actual debris on the ground. Mefi beats NBC news any day when it comes to breaking news.
posted by mychai at 8:35 AM on February 1, 2003

spacefacts (germany) has portraits and brief bios, including marital status and number of children.
posted by steef at 8:35 AM on February 1, 2003

noises: I'm of your mind. But i know better than to expect too much of the idiot in the White House. Apologies to all - I don't want to turn this into an Iraq thread either.
posted by mirla at 8:35 AM on February 1, 2003

"...There's a coincidence today. On this day 390 years ago, the great explorer Sir Francis Drake died abroad ship off the coast of Panama. In his lifetime the great frontiers were the oceans, and a historian later said, "He lived by the sea, died on it, and was buried in it." Well, today we can say of the Challenger crew: Their dedication was, like Drake's, complete...

The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved good-bye and "slipped the surly bonds of earth" to "touch the face of God..."

Excerpt from the Address to the Nation on the Challenger Disaster
Oval Office
January 28, 1986

President Ronald Reagan's televised speech 1/28/86
courtesy of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
posted by azul at 8:37 AM on February 1, 2003

I grabbed the image too, the debris seems to be disappearing from the current radar. When I first saw it (linked from arstechnica forum by vanillicat for proper credit) it looked like this.
posted by thadk at 8:43 AM on February 1, 2003

Captures the magic of space travel for those who find it so.
Never mind the knock at cyberspace...

The Space Race Is Over - Billy Bragg

When I was young I told my mum
I'm going to walk on the Moon someday
Armstrong and Aldrin spoke to me
From Houston and Cape Kennedy
And I watched the Eagle landing
On a night when the Moon was full
And as it tugged the tides, I knew deep inside
I too could feel its pull

I lay in bed and dreamed I walked
On the Sea of Tranquility
I knew that someday soon we'd all sail to the Moon
On the high tide of technology
But the dreams had all been taken
And the window seats taken too
And 2001 has almost come and gone
What am I supposed to do?

Now that the space race is over
It's been and it's gone and I'll never get to the Moon
Because the space race is over
And I can't help but feel that we've all grown up too soon

Now my dreams have all been shattered
And my wings are tattered too
And I still can fly but not half as high
As once I wanted to

Now that the space race is over
It's been and it's gone and I'll never get to the Moon
Because the space race is over
And I can't help but feel that we've all grown up too soon

My son and I stand beneath the great night sky
And gaze up in wonder
I tell him the tale of Apollo
And he says "Why did they ever go?"
It may look like some empty gesture
To go all that way just to come back
But don't offer me a place out in cyberspace
Cos where in the hell's that at?

Now that the space race is over
It's been and it's gone and I'll never get to the Moon
Because the space race is over
And I can't help but feel that we're all just going nowhere
posted by terrortubby at 8:43 AM on February 1, 2003

Sweet Jesus....
posted by Steve_at_Linnwood at 8:44 AM on February 1, 2003

Wow, this is why I love MeFi..(the facts you get from varied contributors. )

Here's my input: a local tv station (in Oklahoma City) is running a crawl that says [paraphrased] ..."according to the FBI some debris from Space Shuttle Columbia may have landed in parts of the state...if you find any, stay away, and contact local authorities, or the FBI...call.xxxxxxxxx"

Oklahoma City is several hundred miles (about 300) NNW of Palestine Tx.
Also, my South Dallas living sister heard a loud prolonged boom around 8:00 this am.
posted by Cedric at 8:47 AM on February 1, 2003

There is nothing left.
posted by the fire you left me at 8:47 AM on February 1, 2003

i can`t help but think that pieces of debris like the one we`re all looking at & discussing are possibly one day going to make some brave & foolish texans unfeasibly rich.
posted by n o i s e s at 8:48 AM on February 1, 2003

This is why so many of us were so offended by the idea of Lance Bass, et al, going into orbit. We can't take the phenomenon of humans in space for granted - each person-hour in orbit is an incredibly valuable opportunity, paid for, as we've now repeatedly seen, in blood.
posted by stonerose at 8:53 AM on February 1, 2003

NASA news conference will be now at 1pm est.
posted by jasonspaceman at 8:56 AM on February 1, 2003

Apparently Stern has fans with EBay accounts. (mirrored here for when EBay pulls it)
posted by mr_crash_davis at 8:57 AM on February 1, 2003

I can't help but think that it's ironic that the first shuttle mission with an Israeli crew member explodes over Palestine, TX.
posted by tetsuo at 8:57 AM on February 1, 2003

What's your vote for who does the investigation: NASA or a Bush-sanctioned blue ribbon group, as occurred with Challenger. Remember the O-ring problem coverup?
posted by mirla at 8:57 AM on February 1, 2003

is this the shuttles usual re-entry path ?
were they trying to fly over palestine because there was an israeli on board ?
im asking because people are talking about getting the re-entry angle wrong...
posted by sgt.serenity at 8:58 AM on February 1, 2003

Stern and those E-bay folks are pretty crass. The internet now allows for Schadenfreude at light speed.
posted by tetsuo at 8:59 AM on February 1, 2003

Columbia was created and it became the first Space Shuttle to fly into Earth orbit in 1981.
posted by riffola at 9:00 AM on February 1, 2003

This is truly shocking news. I'm sure our thoughts and prayers are all with the crew and their families. We can only hope that this doesn't curtail mankind's journey into space.
posted by prentiz at 9:01 AM on February 1, 2003

sgt.serenity: were they trying to fly over palestine because there was an israeli on board?

That's Palestine, Texas it was flying over. So, to answer your question, no--just a coincidence.
posted by Swifty at 9:02 AM on February 1, 2003

yes, we've established its palestine texas already.
what is the usual re-entry path ?
is this it , or is it a random thing ?
posted by sgt.serenity at 9:04 AM on February 1, 2003

were they trying to fly over palestine because there was an israeli on board ?

Looking at this map the Shuttle flew over a lot of small towns in Texas with Palestine just being one of them.
posted by stbalbach at 9:05 AM on February 1, 2003

Some comments on coverage:

C-SPAN is running the WFAA coverage, and WFAA seems to be doing a good job. They are going between experts, radar footage, and footage of debris. No reporters at the debris sites yet, though.

Fox News Channel has Shepard Smith basically trying to fill time, although he did get the UN ambassador from Israel to talk about the pride that Israel had for Ilan Ramon.

CNN Headline News was running the normal CNN feed for some time, but have now broken away from regular CNN. Stephen Frazier seems to be using his contacts well, with a minimum of blabber from the anchor.
posted by calwatch at 9:05 AM on February 1, 2003

sgt.serenity, if the re-entry was wrong, then it was equiptment failure not human error.
posted by jasonspaceman at 9:05 AM on February 1, 2003

Sgt. Serenity: It is apparently one of two usual re-entry paths for the shuttle. A Louisiana weatherman was interviewed on CBS earlier today, and he said that the shuttle frequently passes over his home, where he watched the accident this morning.
posted by Zonker at 9:06 AM on February 1, 2003

Every time a tragedy like this makes the public skittish about "risky" enterprises like the space program, I think it insults the memory of those whose courage led to them be in the place that killed them. I am sure that everyone of those astronauts thought of the possibility of tragedy when they joined the program. (I can't even take off in a commercial airliner without imagining newsreels of the "debris field" I could become a part of.) They know the risks, but they have the courage to go up anyhow because they see themselves working toward something bigger than themselves. That's what makes them heroes. For the public to recoil fearfully from bold programs like the shuttles or the space station insults the character of those who put their lives on the line for science and innovation and exploration. Their bravery should be admired rather than scoffed at by cynics (none of whom have posted here yet, thankfully) and their names should conjure feelings of pride and admiration rather than the pity one feels for victims.
posted by jlynford2 at 9:07 AM on February 1, 2003

Sgt Serenity - "is this the shuttles usual re-entry path ?"

I live in Dallas. To my knowledge, shuttles landing in Florida typically fly over North/Central Texas. I have witnessed nighttime landings by just standing outside and facing south.
posted by LeiaS at 9:07 AM on February 1, 2003

Fox is now on the phone with the manager of the Nacogdoches, TX airport, who reports a large steel tank "with hoses and tubes on it, with shrapnel holes, about five feet around" was found on a runway at the Nacogdoches airport. Stupidly, it sounds as if airport workers loaded the thing on a pickup truck to move it off of the runway, and now they're waiting for someone "from Houston" to come have a look. My word.
posted by Dreama at 9:10 AM on February 1, 2003

the map seems to indicate the explosion was around palestine.
im just trying to get my head round this.
obviously not a terrorist attack, but i guess we'll have to wait awhile to hear more information.
flags at half mast at nasa site.
posted by sgt.serenity at 9:10 AM on February 1, 2003

the map seems to indicate the explosion was around palestine.

What map?
posted by Steve_at_Linnwood at 9:12 AM on February 1, 2003

http://food.dhs.org/shuttlemap.gif
posted by sgt.serenity at 9:13 AM on February 1, 2003

me_crash_davis: the eBay shuttle debris is obviously fake.

the seller is in Germany. and that thing looks like a nozzle from a garden hose.
posted by titboy at 9:14 AM on February 1, 2003

I live in Michigan; am currently watching CBC. Canadian astronaut Marc Garneau doing a press conference partly in French, partly in English.

This was the first time I heard about a major tragedy while I was on the Net (rather than from TV/radio/another person).

I note from news reports that the astronaut Laurel Clark has an 8-yr.-old. God.
posted by NorthernLite at 9:15 AM on February 1, 2003

hehe the eBay description even reads "I do not know if this item has ANYTHING to do with the SPACE SHUTTLE COLUMBIA nor do i claim it being genuine."
posted by titboy at 9:16 AM on February 1, 2003

I wish I could remember where I read this, but I have read reports that people watching in California saw pieces falling off. Was it so much an explosion as a disintegration?
posted by LeiaS at 9:16 AM on February 1, 2003

Someboyd has already registered the domain name columbiadisaster.com

And, was pretty quick to do it, too. Record created on 01-Feb-2003. Database last updated on 1-Feb-2003 12:17:33 EST.
posted by Corky at 9:20 AM on February 1, 2003

Here are the planned landing paths for the mission, from the NASA website. They're pretty typical of a flight landing at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, from what I understand.
posted by Inkslinger at 9:21 AM on February 1, 2003

News Conference postponed to 1 pm EST.
posted by calwatch at 9:21 AM on February 1, 2003

Holy cow. Anyone watch the video of the breakup on CNN just now?
posted by mirla at 9:21 AM on February 1, 2003

God Bless them.
posted by Steve_at_Linnwood at 9:21 AM on February 1, 2003

Y'all you have to remember that after loss of fuselage integrity, a) Columbia basically disintegrated, b) each and every one of the thousands of pieces created had more or less the same airspeed as Columbia did just prior to explosion. Since those pieces couldn't glide down anymore the followed natural ballistic paths down to earth. Bottom-line: there will be debris for thousands of miles around... Sad, sad, sad...

On preview: LeiaS: everything points to a disintegration. Probably they lost too many thermal tiles, part of the fuselage melted down (at Mach 16, ~15,000kph naked aluminum/titanium will melt pretty fast), vibrations took over and then the fuselage "lost integrity", i.e. basically disintegrated. Can't imagine much worse ways to go...

Remember: pilots wish each other "good landings"; that's always the hardest part.
posted by costas at 9:22 AM on February 1, 2003

posted by Corky at 9:22 AM on February 1, 2003

I note from news reports that the astronaut Laurel Clark has an 8-yr.-old. God.

It seems that at least five of the astronauts were married, Clark, Ramon and Husband are all reported to have children; Ramon and his wife Rona had 4 children, Husband was father of 3 little boys.

Mike Huckabee, governor of Arkansas, has reported debris in 3 counties there. Containment management has been in contact with authorities in Oklahoma, Louisana and Arizona, as well. Given that, we can only hope that the seeming magnitude of the destructive incident was such that there was no suffering on board.
posted by Dreama at 9:26 AM on February 1, 2003

For some reason (probably me) the link doesn't work.

columbiadisaster.com domain registered with Network Solutions.
posted by Corky at 9:28 AM on February 1, 2003

offended by the idea of Lance Bass

True, it is base. However, there are a lot of people who think humans need to spread off from Earth (I'm still on the fence). I figured the recent space tourist fad was just the first steps toward normalizing space travel. Obviously, though, we are a long way from that.
posted by piskycritter at 9:31 AM on February 1, 2003

The families have my deepest sympathies.

I hope that we can learn what went wrong and prevent such a terrible tragedy from happening again. I hope that the exploration of space continues, more safely, and more wisely.

I hope that Howard Stern and his bottom-feeding ilk lose all the ears, interests, and patronage of even their most simpleminded fans.
posted by Songdog at 9:31 AM on February 1, 2003

from the still posted washington post article:

Some of Columbia's crew members didn't want their time in space to end.

"Do we really have to come back?" astronaut David Brown jokingly asked Mission Control before the ride home.

i'm in austin. i found out driving to get some coffee. turned on NPR to hear breaking news of people talking about large explosions above their house early morning ...this is way strange.
posted by Peter H at 9:35 AM on February 1, 2003

Dan Rather just asked one of the scientists (Parese? sp?), who had an experiment on board, the question why use humans rather than robots for these experiments.

The scientist isn't saying anything about the necessity of humans tending these experiments, his response is primarily about the human desire for exploration.
posted by mirla at 9:36 AM on February 1, 2003

.
posted by ColdChef at 9:39 AM on February 1, 2003

Dan Rather is stupid for asking that....
posted by Steve_at_Linnwood at 9:39 AM on February 1, 2003

NASA calculated that one in 100 missions will fail. Now the odds are about one in 75.
posted by stbalbach at 9:43 AM on February 1, 2003

Robert Heinlein wrote an extra verse for the "Traveler's Prayer" for one of his stories. It seems appropriate:

Almighty Ruler of the all,
  Whose Power extends to great and small,
  Who guides the stars with steadfast law,
  Whose least creation fills with awe,
    O grant thy mercy and thy grace,
    To those who venture into space.

(Found on Jerry Pournelle's page.)
posted by Zonker at 9:47 AM on February 1, 2003

Checked my e-mail, clicked over to MeFi, and found out the horrible news. Day's ruined. :(

My thoughts and prayers are with all affected.
posted by thatweirdguy2 at 9:50 AM on February 1, 2003

The most hopeful effect that this could have on the space program is the increased drive and funding for "next-generation" payload and research vehicles. This is a crucial time in human history where we need to learn from, and through, the universe. I hope that this tragic loss does not deter our collective need to explore, and understand, the eternity that exists beyond our atmosphere.
posted by moonbird at 9:53 AM on February 1, 2003

Another... (the poem quoted by Reagan after Challenger):

High Flight

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
and danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings.
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
of sun-split clouds, and done a hundred things
you have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
high in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
my eager craft thro' footless halls of air.

Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue,
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
where never lark, nor even eagle flew.
And while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
the high, untrespassed sanctity of space,
put out my hand, and touched the face of God
posted by LMG at 9:54 AM on February 1, 2003

Tears streamed down this morning as I watched this disaster unfold and as I thought about the families, my memories of the Challenger disaster came flooding back. Space flight seems to become almost routine and then something like this happens to remind us all just how dangerous it actually is.

My thoughts and prayers go to the family, friends and co-workers.
posted by Plunge at 10:08 AM on February 1, 2003

"High Flight" was a poem written by RCAF Pilot-Officer John Gillespie Magee, Jr., during WW II, months before he was lost on a mission. Of him, astronaut Michael Collins (the third astronaut of the Apollo 11 mission), in his memoir Carrying the Fire, noted, "And this, from the cockpit of a Spitfire! I cry that he was killed."
posted by alumshubby at 10:08 AM on February 1, 2003

Will we ever be able to witness a disaster again and NOT say 'terrorism' and 'sabotage' first? I know it was my first thought. I'm a bit scared to see what Bush says. I wonder if he'll address the fact that people are half-assuming foul play.
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