I just heard about this. I am stunned, just as I was when the Challenger went down.
But I tell myself now as I did then, these Astronauts know the down side of their jobs. They know an event like this is a possibility and they sign on bravely. And as we loose brave astronauts, there are always more to take their place.
However I am struck by this fact. It seems kind of odd to me, or weird, that all 3 US space disasters have happened in Jan or Feb. The Challenger went down Jan 28 1986. On January 27 1967 the Apollo Spacecraft fire killed 3 astronauts. All three have occurred in the same week span in their respective years.
I try to keep this in perspective by thiking in 42 some odd years of manned space flight there has only been 3 disasters with loss of life. But today that hardly seems to help my thoughts, as I am sure the families of the Columbia shuttle are going through emotional hell right now.
God bless each and every one of them, and pray for the loss their families and a nation suffer.
__________________
FNUH!
Last edited by Sniper[MI]; 02-01-2003 at 11:30 AM.
looks like January is not a good month for the space program .this is the second one to go down in the month of january.i feel sorry for the families watching this.
I just woke up and saw this -- I can't believe it -- again we have lost another piece of history, the columbia was our first shuttle and we have lost 6 more couragous americans. I just hope the familes are well taken care of in their time of need.
Just listened to NASA representatives on their press release. As shocking, bewildering and disapointing as the disaster was, I detected an optomistic note that they would "fix it" in due course.
My prayers go with those courageous astronauts, their families, and the NASA employees who are all hurting badly and need our support.
Hope everyone will be patient and not jump to premature conclusions as they sort through the evidence looking for the source of the disaster.
Hi all....been snoozeing on off all day...wifee poo gave me the flu.
I actualy work at the cape...tenshions are running high..The first thoughts are for the families of the Astranots...next is to try to figure out what happened..One good thing about NASA is that the people wont turn on a light switch without 2 electricians..a saftey meber being present and a step by step procedure to follow....every thing is checked and rechecked ...to prevent problems. On the other side, we got to rember the shuttle is almost 30 yrs old....Think about the stress placed on it..lift off and landing...thats a lot of heating/cooling ect over 30 yrs.....and at the speeds it flys a little problem can become a big problem instiantaniously....of course there are a lot of other ? around work...not just what happened but what happens now....when NASA basicaly shut down last time it killed brevard county economics...lots of hgh paying jobs at the cape...and not many else were around here....also things like what happenes to the people up in the space staton (rember the shuttle was their cab ride home)....and how it will effect the space station program.
It is sad that we lost these people today....they will be missed and rembered....but we must also rember space exploration is dangrous....NASA just makes it seem rutine.
Location: Virginia, just outside of Washington D.C.
Posts: 3,788
OH MY GOD NOT AGAIN!!!!!!!
My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the crew. Although this is a terribly sad happening I am glad that apparently it was not a terrorist event. I wonder how long the shuttle fleet will be grounded?
I live in los alamos nm, at 7:00 the shuttle passed over albuquerque, and I was out doing yard work and heard the distant boom boom of the sonic wave as it passed over, about 7:05 I heard an enormous deep rumble, very low -very distant and im 900 miles away, poor people, God bless them
Guys ive never heard any thing like that in my life, it was a constant thunder on the horizen, really loud, and strong, you cant believe the sound, it sounded like a freight train near, but then again far away, ill never forget it, to the day I die
Sorry to harp on this tragedy, most of you guys know im an old nam vet, My God the sound was unbelievable, ive never seen or heard any thing like it, it was like listening to a jet engine close to your ear, and im 900 miles away, well as the crow flies maybe 400 my God, it was low not like a jet , but close, really low sounding, not like the whine of a jet, but like thunder right in your ear, and close, my God!!!! horrible, unbelievable
Truly a sad day for the US and Israel and most of the rest of the world. I really feel for the families of the astronauts. Hopefully the investigation will quickly find the cause of this tradegy and we will be able to get the shuttle program back into space soon.
On the other side of the world, in Bagdad, they are rejoicing saying this is God's vengence.
Shuttle Lost? 
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