Contact with Columbia Lost!

[Solver]

Now American astronauts will likely use Russian spacecraft to get in space.

[Dinner]

Besides I don't even think there is a way to eject out of the shuttle. If it goes down you go down.

[Jack_www]

well if they had there suits on, but I think they are dead. I cant see how they are alive.

[Panag]

Originally posted by Solver
Now American astronauts will likely use Russian spacecraft to get in space.

hi ,

they have three shuttles left , and they could make one in less then six months from spare pieces , ....

[Eli]

Originally posted by Solver
Now American astronauts will likely use Russian spacecraft to get in space.

Not likely.

[orange]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
I feel bad for the families, but these explorers died doing what they loved. We should be so lucky.

A very good point...

[Solver]

Americans won't use their shuttles again till they get clear what happened to Columbia, probably.

[FrustratedPoet]

Eli: yes, very likely. why not? If the Russians will take eccentric billionaires into space, why not let the US government pay them to take their astronauts?

[Jack_www]

Russian space craft is not the best in the world. Even with the explusions of two space shuttles I would rather go on a space shuttle then Russian space craft.

[FrustratedPoet]

well, the US shuttles will be grounded for a few months at least and there are still 3 people on the space station who have to get home somehow.
somebody's got to go get them.

[Solver]

Jack, why such a distrust to Russia? Ever been there?

Besides, USA and Russia are basically the only two countries capable of large space programs.

[Jack_www]

I think that the heat sheild of the shuttle was damaged. That may explain why it broke up. If they can find out what happened quickly then they can start to build the space station and take a new crew up to the Space Station.

[Spiffor]

I've just read this, I'm sorry for your loss

[Edan]

I think this is still relevant:

Address to the Nation: The Challenger Disaster
January 28, 1986

Nineteen years ago, almost to the day, we lost three astronauts in a terrible accident on the ground. But, we've never lost an astronaut in flight; we've never had a tragedy like this. And perhaps we've forgotten the courage it took for the crew of the shuttle; but they, the Challenger Seven, were aware of the dangers, but overcame them and did their jobs brilliantly. We mourn seven heroes: Michael Smith, **** Scobee, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe. We mourn their loss as a nation together.

For the families of the seven, we cannot bear, as you do, the full impact of this tragedy. But we feel the loss, and we're thinking about you so very much. Your loved ones were daring and brave, and they had that special grace, that special spirit that says, 'Give me a challenge and I'll meet it with joy.' They had a hunger to explore the universe and discover its truths. They wished to serve, and they did. They served all of us.

We've grown used to wonders in this century. It's hard to dazzle us. But for twenty-five years the United States space program has been doing just that. We've grown used to the idea of space, and perhaps we forget that we've only just begun. We're still pioneers. They, the members of the Challenger crew, were pioneers.

And I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle's takeoff. I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It's all part of taking a chance and expanding man's horizons. The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we'll continue to follow them...

There's a coincidence today. On this day 390 years ago, the great explorer Sir Francis Drake died aboard 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 the journey and waved good-bye and 'slipped the surly bonds of earth' to 'touch the face of God.'

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/presidents/nf/resource/reagan/primdocs/challenger.html

[Jack_www]

if you want a live webcast of the story just go to this link. The link to the webcast is there.

http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/home/main100.shtml