Space Shuttle explodes

[Ideal08]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...-2003Feb1.html

This is the only article I've read so far. I just got to work. Please post other articles, I'd like to hear a little more.

[Bamboozled]

I've been following this story all morning and it is very reminiscent of the Challenger explosion 17 years ago (dang, can y'all believe it was that long ago?). Of course, my first thoughts were that it could be terrorist related, but it was reported on CNN that that theory is almost impossible because of the altitude of the shuttle and the speed at which it was traveling. They said that there are no devices of destruction that are that advanced. They did an interview with a man in the Waco, Tx area who was outside with his family to watch the shuttle pass. He witnessed the shuttle break apart overhead and swore that he saw a commercial airplane flying supspiciously close to the shuttle. I was really worried until the reporter commented that there was no way possible that a commercial airplane would be able to fly at that altitude. I could feel the reporter wanting to give the witness one of these: . So, it seems that this was truly a misfortunate accident. The shuttle was 16 minutes away from landing (isn't that crazy how it was over Texas and would land in Florida in 16 minutes?) and had already started its descent, which supposedly should be the most unproblematic process of the flight.

I'm kind of uncomfortable with the way they keep harping on the fact that there was an Isreali on board, as if his presence points to possible terrorist activity. I understand the concern, but his family is experiencing just as much loss as the American families and I just hope they don't make this into an us v. them situation. Also, if you haven't seen the pictures of the crew yet, there was a 43 year old black man on board. Not to single him out, but I'm always still surprised to see black folks that are willing to fly in space.

[Honeykiss1974]

Bamboozled,
I was watching CNN when that interview with the Waco, TX gentleman was taking place. The reporter was straight like when that man talk giving his account. He even made me laugh for a minute because after the interview, he wne tinto this speel about how stories like his were bound to surface (= meaning, don't believe it).

I too don't like how they are harping on the astronaut from Isreal or the other astronaut that was born in India. So what? People have tradgically died.

I am sad to hear this happened.

[RedAngel]

It's all very sad!
My prayers go out to all the surviving families.
I remember when the Challenge accident happened I was an undergraduate and now I'm working in school working on the next degree and now it's Columbia.

[AKA2D '91]

I remember the Challenger incident, I was in the eighth grade. You're right Bamboozled, it's hard to imagine that it was 17 years ago. Time really has passed.

It is sooooo unfortunate. All yesterday, I heard people saying they should leave God's great beyond alone....they should worry about what's going on at home instead of all these space voyages...

Whatever the case may be lives have been lost. I didn't know who were the astronauts, I never paid any attention. There was also an AA male on the crew. Like with the Challenger, there was one also.

[Steeltrap]

Here's an article on the AfAm astronaut who died in the Columbia explosion:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...derson03m.html

[Bamboozled]

It really is comforting to know that he was a believer. Thanks for posting the link, Steeltrap.

[abaici]

This is so sad. My students have to correct a history fact during the first five minutes of class everyday. One of the facts last week was about the Challenger explosion. How ironic.