Announcement

**Docfeelgood** · February 1, 2003, 12:21

Local news say that debris is in the Houston surronding areas.Very small smoking debris.

They allso made a coment that this is the heaviest shuttel to make a landing.

I personely have seen nothing or heard anything.

**Panag** · February 1, 2003, 12:21

Originally posted by Eli

IIRC they need at least 3 people aboard for maintenance, so no.

hi ,

and how are they getting back , congress stopped funding the escape vehicle , looks like that is going to chance from today on , .... go x38

**Bereta_Eder** · February 1, 2003, 12:22

Boris, I didnt start it but an answer had to be given. Hopefully it is now finished. Decency is presenting the other side as well and not err shallow everything that's been given to you.
Cheers

**DarkCloud** · February 1, 2003, 12:22

DarkCloud, are you on drugs or something? That was one of the most bizarrely irrelevant posts I've seen.

What do you mean- I started reading on page 1 and am replytin to page 2 right now.

that's why I quoted ELI's X-38 comment.

and it's not off topic- it has to do with the future of the space program.

Anybody from Texas? I've got some family there and would like to know if they've been told something else than not touching the fallen pieces...
I'm really sad with the news

they fell south of dallas.

**The Mad Monk** · February 1, 2003, 12:23

Israelis, in Shock, Pray for Their First Astronaut
Sat February 1, 2003 11:19 AM ET
By Michele Gershberg
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israelis watched in shock on Saturday as their country's first astronaut was feared lost when the space shuttle Columbia apparently broke-up over Texas just minutes before landing.

Israeli Air Force Col. Ilan Ramon was part of Columbia's science mission, which took off on January 16, bringing a rare sense of celebration and pride to Israelis mired in more than two years of conflict with the Palestinians.

Israeli television networks had cued in to the anticipated shuttle landing on Saturday at 9:16 a.m. EST, but ended up breaking live reports from the United States that the NASA space agency lost contact with the shuttle and feared it crashed in Texas.

"The government and people of Israel are praying together with the peoples of the world for the safety of the astronauts on the shuttle Columbia," Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's office said in a statement.

Israeli government officials said they were awaiting word of the fate of the Columbia crew before making any other comment.

Ramon, 48, served as a fighter pilot in the Israeli air force, first as a cadet during the 1973 Middle East war.

The son of a Holocaust survivor, his career included participating in the bombing of an Iraqi nuclear reactor in 1981 which Israel said was intended to develop nuclear weapons.

But it was a mission of peace which sealed Ramon's image as a true Israeli hero: by being the country's first citizen to head out to space, entrusted with several scientific projects on dust storms and a palm-sized Torah scroll kept safe by a Jewish boy in a German concentration camp during World War II.

Family members and friends of the Ramon family had gathered together to watch his return, but instead tried to comfort each other through the uncertainty of his fate.

"We are all sitting and hoping to hear something new," family friend Modi Keren told Army Radio. "This looks very bad. I very much hope we will hear different, because at this time things look awful."

Many other Israelis stopped in their tracks during the Jewish Sabbath at the news. One group which had gathered to play tennis in Tel Aviv on their day off crowded around television monitors and expressed sheer disbelief.

"It is very sad. I am in shock," said Hezi Yitzhaki. "It was a celebration for the country and it is ending so tragically. An entire country was so proud of him. We are already in such a bad state."

They might have taken comfort in words Ramon himself had to reporters on the eve of his flight, repeated for broadcast on Saturday by Israeli Channel One Television.

"The route to the target is more important than the target," Ramon said. "We are going to go for the target, but we enjoy the route as well."

**Panag** · February 1, 2003, 12:23

Originally posted by DanS
panag: The VentureStar has been killed since '00. The new engine wasn't working as hoped, among other things.

Its a serious point. Tell me why the death of 7 astronauts is a bigger tragedy in terms of human life than 7 fatalities in a traffic smash up.

Big Crunch: Yes, in terms of human life. Your point is a good one, since overstressing a tragedy like this makes the program run in fits and starts. 1/60 chance of death in human space flight has to be an accepted risk by all sides.

Even then, though, this is not totally in terms of human life. As said above, the shuttle has always been a symbol.

they never gave it a good chance , it was worth it , but the usaf was not intrested in re-opening moses lake , and they did extensive work to NOT let the project go on ,.......

**Urban Ranger** · February 1, 2003, 12:24

Originally posted by Eli
The parties started in Gaza City.

Source?

**faded glory** · February 1, 2003, 12:24

All of the people saying it was a teract need to understand this thing was wayyy outta range of anything.

Oh and its most likely re-entry angle problem. You know I used to play MS Shuttle sim and re-entry was like impossible for a human pilot.

**Panag** · February 1, 2003, 12:25

to be or not to be ,.......

Attached Files

**faded glory** · February 1, 2003, 12:27

hi,

panag, are you like eating raw sugar packets everyday?

Have a nice day

**orange** · February 1, 2003, 12:27

oh my God...this is awful

**Panag** · February 1, 2003, 12:28

Originally posted by Urban Ranger

Source?

read above

**faded glory** · February 1, 2003, 12:29

They tried to use the SR-71 jets for that X series. But they proved to be not strong enough I do believe. Clinton cut the project in 00.

**Bereta_Eder** · February 1, 2003, 12:30

What usually causes such an accident?
Wrong entry angle in the atmosphaire?
Or maybe some mechanical malfunction?

**faded glory** · February 1, 2003, 12:30

err SR-71 Jet engines. Man those things were fast tho.

Announcement

Contact with Columbia Lost!

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