fodders Posted February 1, 2003 Sad news, Space Shuttle Columbia has been lost, probably broke up over Texas :( 0 Share this post Link to post
Tyockell Posted February 1, 2003 Sad indeed I hope they find out what happend. Also that the wreckage dosent strike anyone. 0 Share this post Link to post
stphrz Posted February 1, 2003 Fuck. I just woke up and saw the news on CNN. Damnit. :( 0 Share this post Link to post
Sephiroth Posted February 1, 2003 on the plus side we have a very good track record. this is only the second maned space craft we have lost, and it was not in space. (well second as far as i know) we have lost no people in space. this is very good, even more so when u take into account how common it has become. also more impressive is the fact it is a shit storm up there. small and large items float around faster than bullets. i am surprised a person or space craft has never been KO'd by such a speeding bullet. It may have been an object that damaged the shuttle thus dooming it. even small paint chips can do big damage. i have heard that they offten replace windows because of such impacts. 0 Share this post Link to post
Disorder Posted February 1, 2003 This is sad. Imagine what friends and family must be going through right now. They were probably at Kennedy Space Center to see their relatives after 16 days in space IIRC. Dammit.. It is time for a next generation of spaceshuttles. 0 Share this post Link to post
Biffy Posted February 1, 2003 This is the first US manned spacecraft lost during re-entry, Russia lost a small crew a few decades ago, apparently due to loss of capsule pressure. We lost Challenger during ascent (1986), and that crew actually had a much better chance of survival than this crew. The Challenger crew cabin came down essentially intact and the crew was killed by impact with the ocean + drowning to finish it. It appears that somehow the "attitude control" (craft orientation) was lost and Columbia was subjected to huge heat and aerodynamic loads from all directions as it tumbled. It burnt and broke up. 0 Share this post Link to post
Insomniak Posted February 1, 2003 My condolances to the astronauts, their families, and their respective countries. 0 Share this post Link to post
DooMBoy Posted February 1, 2003 I heard about that first thing when I walked into the living room this morning. Quite sad indeed. :( 0 Share this post Link to post
dsm Posted February 1, 2003 People die all the time - it may sound cynical, but if I were to offer condolences every time a person dies on this wretched world (not to mention in this wretched solar system!), I'd be in for a full-time, 20-hour-per-day job. At the very least - I migth even have to forget about sleeping to make it. Anyway, it sucks when people die, I'm sure these seven astronauts were all mighty fine people. 0 Share this post Link to post
zark Posted February 1, 2003 Damn, that sucks. My thoughts go out to the friends and family of the astronauts on board. Let's hope this never happens again :( 0 Share this post Link to post
pritch Posted February 1, 2003 6 Americans, 1 Israelite on board IIRC. Damned shame. 0 Share this post Link to post
Sweet Prince Posted February 1, 2003 stphrz said:Fuck. I just woke up and saw the news on CNN. Damnit. :( yeah, i hate when that happens... life was fine till Sep 11 12:00pm (ok so im a late sleeper) i was just coming here to post about, would have when i was on the boards half an hour ago but thats when i got the call from my crying mom... my parents are teachers at a uni and do lots of work for schools and NASA cos they LOVE space and, their astronomers :) and BTW my mom said that the 1 Israelite was born in the US so i think that means he would be counted as an American.. i dont think you can go on the Shuttle if you arnt born an American tho that i might really be worng about i hope they can find whatever pice that fucked up laying on the ground in Texas Sweet Prince 0 Share this post Link to post
DOOM Anomaly Posted February 1, 2003 Pfft, and my mom told me waking up earlier would make the day start off better. LIES ALL LIES... :-/ 0 Share this post Link to post
Dark-tenshi Posted February 1, 2003 I feel so sorry for the familes of astronauts.. 0 Share this post Link to post
Ichor Posted February 1, 2003 Yes, especially considering that they arrived at the station to watch the landing not five minutes before the accident. I can just hear those tin hat conspiracy nuts now... 0 Share this post Link to post
Tyockell Posted February 1, 2003 Sephiroth said:on the plus side we have a very good track record. this is only the second maned space craft we have lost, and it was not in space. (well second as far as i know) we have lost no people in space. this is very good, even more so when u take into account how common it has become. also more impressive is the fact it is a shit storm up there. small and large items float around faster than bullets. i am surprised a person or space craft has never been KO'd by such a speeding bullet. It may have been an object that damaged the shuttle thus dooming it. even small paint chips can do big damage. i have heard that they offten replace windows because of such impacts. Yes quite true the 6 inch thick windows are often pitted with holes from paint chips dust particles its insain they are sometimes traveling at like 12,000 miles per hour 0 Share this post Link to post
Psyonisis Posted February 1, 2003 Tyockell said:Yes quite true the 6 inch thick windows are often pitted with holes from paint chips dust particles its insain they are sometimes traveling at like 12,000 miles per hour Paint chips flying in orbit don't do much... they make impacts too small to be seen with the naked eye. However, stuff that's the size of a pea orbiting earth is equivalent to a 400 pound object flying through the air at 60 mph on earth. THOSE ones can cause visible damage. 0 Share this post Link to post
Spike Posted February 1, 2003 I'm more worried about poor Texans getting twatted over the head by debris. 0 Share this post Link to post
Sharessa Posted February 1, 2003 Heh...last time this happened I think I was about 1. Anyway, I think we're finaly starting to catch up to the Russians in total deaths in the respective space programs. 0 Share this post Link to post
Doom-Child Posted February 1, 2003 I live in Huntsville, which is where Marshall SFC is, so I have some knowledge of space technology. I can't figure out how that could have happened. DC 0 Share this post Link to post
fodders Posted February 1, 2003 Sweet Prince said:and BTW my mom said that the 1 Israelite was born in the US so i think that means he would be counted as an American.. Born June 20, 1954, in Tel Aviv, Israel Also one was Indian. 0 Share this post Link to post
elbryan42 Posted February 1, 2003 It's sad indeed that people have died. However, not to be an asshole, but the media makes too much of a big deal. Seven people? I mean one can't put a value on someone's life, but think of this. Seven people died in the accident, but how many people died last night in car accidents? That's sad. The reason why the US Government is worried is because of money and world relations. It's sad that it happened, but people die every day, and concentrating our efforts on stopping car crashes, shootings, and murders is money better spent than making another bloody spacecraft. 0 Share this post Link to post
Arioch Posted February 1, 2003 Pssst idiot ... The various technologies that have come out of the space program research have more than repayed the world in terms of the amount of money spent... and lives saved. In addition, people get all pissy when you tell them they can't drive drunk or speed. So shut the fuck up. And you can pass that on. 0 Share this post Link to post
elbryan42 Posted February 1, 2003 I'm not saying to stop the space program. This is like every tragedy the US has ever faced. It'll be blown out of proportion until the entire world is sick of it. Period. [edit] Arioch, I know you're a mod and everything, but calling someone an idiot (and telling someone to shut the fuck up) just because the you disagree with them is just plain immature. No hard feelings though. My condolences to those who lost loved ones in the accident. But let's not forget all those who die every day that you don't hear about. 0 Share this post Link to post
darknation Posted February 1, 2003 If it had been a Mongolian Space Shuttle everyone would laugh. 0 Share this post Link to post