Communication lost with Space Shuttle Columbia

[MFFL]

http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/0....ap/index.html

Shuttle landing in question
Flight controllers declare a 'contingency'
Saturday, February 1, 2003 Posted: 9:43 AM EST (1443 GMT)


Mission Control directors went to contingency protocol, the last communication with the shuttle being at 9 a.m. EST Saturday.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (AP) -- NASA lost communication with space shuttle Columbia shortly before its scheduled landing on Saturday. It was unclear whether there were any other problems.

Mission Control reported no communication with the shuttle after 9 a.m. EST.

The shuttle was carrying the first Israeli astronaut and six Americans, and authorities had feared it would be a terrorist target.

Fifteen minutes after the expected landing time, and with no word from the shuttle, NASA announced that search and rescue teams were being mobilized in Dallas and Fort Worth areas.

NASA, while not saying the shuttle had exploded, broken up or crashed, warned that any debris found in the area should be avoided and could be hazardous.

Inside Mission Control, flight controller hovered in front of their computers, staring at the screens. The wives, husbands and children of the astronauts who had been waiting at the landing strip were gathered together by NASA and taken to separate place.

Columbia was at an altitude of 200,700 feet over north-central Texas at a 9 a.m., traveling at 12,500 mph when mission control lost contact and tracking data.

Reporters at the landing strip were ordered away 7 minutes after the scheduled touchdown with still no sign of the shuttle.

In 42 years of human space flight, NASA has never lost a space crew during landing or the ride back to orbit. In 1986, space shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after liftoff.

Security had been tight for the 16-day scientific research mission that included the first Israeli astronaut.


The shuttle Columbia was captured by TV cameras as it flew over Dallas, Texas, on Saturday morning, on its way to a planned 9:16 a.m EST landing at the Kennedy Center.



Ilan Ramon, a colonel in Israel's air force and former fighter pilot, became the first man from his country to fly in space, and his presence resulted in an increase in security, not only for Columbia's January 16 launch, but also for its landing. Space agency officials feared his presence might make the shuttle more of a terrorist target.

On launch day, a piece of insulating foam on the external fuel tank came off during liftoff and was believed to have struck the left wing of the shuttle. NASA said as late as Friday that the damage to the thermal tiles was believed to be minor and posed no safety concern during the fiery decent through the atmosphere.

Science mission
Columbia's crew -- Ramon and six Americans -- completed all of their 80-plus experiments in orbit.

They studied ant, bee and spider behavior in weightlessness as well as changes in flames and flower scents, and took measurements of atmospheric dust with a pair of Israeli cameras.

The 13 lab rats on board -- part of a brain and heart study -- faced the guillotine following the flight so researchers could see up-close the effects of so much time in weightlessness.

The insects and other animals had a brighter, longer future: the student experimenters were going to get them back and many of the youngsters planned to keep them, almost like pets.

All of the scientific objectives were accomplished during the round-the-clock laboratory mission, and some of the work may be continued aboard the international space station, researchers said.

The only problem of note was a pair of malfunctioning dehumidifiers, which temporarily raised temperatures inside the laboratory to the low 80s, 10 degrees higher than desired.

Some of Columbia's crew members didn't want their time in space to end.

"Do we really have to come back?" astronaut David Brown jokingly asked Mission Control before the ride home.

[LonestarROB]

Heard it. Heard it blow up about 8:00 over my house. I thought it was thunder but I checked the weather channel and saw nothing. Couple minutes later it was all over the news.

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img]

[MavKikiNYC]

Debris falling 100 miles south of Dallas.

Doc? Check in, please.

[LonestarROB]

They found some in Oklahoma too. And Palistine(spl?) aswell.

[MavKikiNYC]

Any ground casualties?

[reeds]

DONT TOUCH THE DEBRIS!!!!! I am serious, if anyone finds debris, stay far away. The news says its very toxic and the fumes can kill you within 48 hours....

[Chiwas]

Information is scarce. This is the official buletin from NASA:




NASA Television reported Saturday morning that communications were lost with Shuttle Columbia at approximately 8 a.m. EST over north-central Texas. Columbia was at approximately 200,000 feet altitude. Debris has been sighted in north central Texas. Search and rescue has been dispatched in Dallas-Fort Worth area.
News media covering the Space Shuttle should stay tuned to NASA Television, which is broadcast on AMC-2, transponder 9C, C-Band, located at 85 degrees West longitude. The frequency is 3880.0 MHz. Polarization is vertical and audio is monaural at 6.8 MHz.

New information, including the times and locations of press briefings, will be posted to this page.

[Chiwas]

Official update. (10:20 am, central)

NASA link



NASA STATEMENT ON LOSS OF COMMUNICATIONS WITH COLUMBIA
A Space Shuttle contingency has been declared in Mission Control, Houston, as a result of the loss of communication with the Space Shuttle Columbia at approximately 9 a.m. EST Saturday as it descended toward a landing at the Kennedy Space Center, Fla. It was scheduled to touchdown at 9:16 a.m. EST.

Communication and tracking of the shuttle was lost at 9 a.m. EST at an altitude of about 203,000 feet in the area above north central Texas. At the time communications were lost. The shuttle was traveling approximately 12,500 miles per hour (Mach 18). No communication and tracking information were received in Mission Control after that time.

Search and rescue teams in the Dallas-Fort Worth and in portions of East Texas have been alerted. Any debris that is located in the area that may be related to the Space Shuttle contingency should be avoided and may be hazardous as a result of toxic propellants used aboard the shuttle. The location of any possible debris should immediately be reported to local authorities.

Flight controllers in Mission Control have secured all information, notes and data pertinent to today's entry and landing by Space Shuttle Columbia and continue to methodically proceed through contingency plans.

News media covering the Space Shuttle should stay tuned to NASA Television, which is broadcast on AMC-2, transponder 9C, C-Band, located at 85 degrees West longitude. The frequency is 3880.0 MHz. Polarization is vertical and audio is monaural at 6.8 MHz. Reporters can also go to any NASA center newsroom to monitor the situation.

New information, including the times and locations of press briefings, will be posted to this page.

[nowitzki_prophecy]

i just dont think they made it.
the odds are too slim for them to bail out in time.

because the odds for such a thing to happen are so slim,especialy that that part would go wrong,and that an israeli was on board,i suspect it was not an accident.

[MavKikiNYC]

NP,

Current news acounts are saying that there are no survivors.

All news accounts are emphasizing that any terrorist-related act is unlikely in the extreme---infintesimally small possibility of terrorist involvement.

[Drbio]

Barely heard it in Waco. My parents heard it big time in east texas. There is debris all over the area around their house. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img]

Very sad news.

[MavKikiNYC]

My dad heard it while he was walking the dog this morning. He thought it was hunters---his hearing isn't what it used to be.

[Chiwas]

Update of Nasa's bulletin:


NOTE TO PERSONS IN THE AREA: All debris is United States Government property and is critical to the investigation of the shuttle accident. Any and all debris from the accident is to be left alone and reported to Government authorities. Unauthorized persons found in possession of accident debris will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

[turbo.mav]

I'm in Dallas this weekend and it woke me up out of bed. It sounded like our neighbors house had blownup. The weird thing was our windows rattled for a good 15-20 seconds like an earthquake or something.

Terrible Terrible news.

I doubt theres any relation to any sort of terrorist activity. Though there was an Israeli national hero on board and it happens to go wrong over Bush's home state and tons of debris found in Palestine TX.

[Fidel]

That´s sad news.
And what reeds said is right, stay away from the debris, it´s very toxic.
I emedietly thought of you guys and gals when they said the debris would come down in the fort worth, dallas area.

[MavsFanFinley]

Sad news. My prayers go out to there families.

[Chiwas]

Update.


NOTE TO PERSONS IN THE AREA: Anyone who believes they have found debris related to Columbia should call the Johnson Space Center Emergency Operations Center, (281)-483-3388. Be aware that hazardous chemicals may be present; do not disturb or move any debris.

[OutletPass]

Woke me up this morning.

I'm still in shock. There's debris from Burleson to Plano to Denton to East Texas. Really scattered over a 100-200 mile area.

This time we share a sorrow, NP.

[Chiwas]

[veruca salt]

I just heard the news then and thought i'd check in and see how everyone
is dealing.
I hope everyone is alright...and stay safe, like
reeds said, don't go near the debris! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-frown.gif[/img]

[centrlpark08]

Something didnt feel right this morning when i woke up and i turned on the tv and saw the news everywhere, I'm still shocked of what had happened.

[Chiwas]

News Release. NASA
Administrator Sean O’Keefe’s Statement
February 1, 2003, 1 p.m. EST

As my press officer indicated earlier, we will make a statement now and a little
later this afternoon, about 3 o’clock eastern time, there will be a full technical
briefing conducted from the Johnson Space Center. So at this point, we’re just
going to give you the circumstances, as we understand them, leading up to this
particular tragedy today. We will not take questions from the media.
This is indeed a tragic day for the NASA family, for the families of the astronauts
who flew on STS-107, and likewise is tragic for the Nation.
Immediately upon indication of a loss of communications from STS-107, at a little
after 9 a.m., this morning, we began our contingency plan to preserve all the
information relative to the flight activities.
I immediately advised the President and the Secretary of Homeland Security,
Tom Ridge, at the point after landing was due to have occurred at 9:16 a.m., and
spoke to them very briefly to advise them that we had lost contact with the
Shuttle orbiter, Columbia, and STS-107 crew. They offered, the President
specifically offered, full and immediate support to determine the appropriate
steps to be taken.
We then spent the next hour and a half working through the details and
information of what we have received and Bill Readdy, Associate Administrator
for the NASA Office of Space Flight, will walk you through the specifics of those
operational and technical issues.
We met with the family members of the astronauts who were here at the
Kennedy Space Center and are soon to be departing back to the Johnson Space
Center in Houston. The President has called and spoken to the family members
to express our deepest national regrets. We have assured them that we will
begin the process immediately to recover their loved ones and understand the
cause of this tragedy.

At this time, we have no indication that the mishap was caused by anything or
anyone on the ground.
We assembled a Mishap Investigation Team at a point past the stage that the
orbiter was to have landed here at Kennedy Space Center a little after 9:30. That
team, in turn, is coordinating on a regular basis on all the facts that are pertaining
to this from the Johnson Space Center with help from a Rapid Response Team
from here at the Kennedy Space Center, as well participants from the Marshall
Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
In addition to these internal efforts, we have appointed a Mishap Investigation
Board, an external group of people who are independent from NASA who will be
charged with the responsibility to look at all the information that was immediately
locked down right after the absence of communications.
Each of these individuals are Safety and Mission Assurance related officials in
other departments of the Federal government, from the Air Force, the Navy, the
Department of Transportation, and across the federal expanse. This Investigation
Team will be chaired by an individual who is external to the federal agencies and
who will have the responsibility to coordinate all the information from an external
view.
So we’ll be conducting both the internal activity as well as the external review
immediately to ascertain the causes and circumstances under which this tragedy
occurred.
We have pulled together all the federal agencies and local governments as well. I
have been in discussion several times this morning with Secretary Tom Ridge.
The effort is under way to coordinate an understanding of exactly where the
orbiter path had taken it from West Texas towards the Kennedy Space Center
here in Florida and to make sure that the material on the ground is secured so
that the investigation can begin promptly.
We would urge people who believe they have found any material to stay away
from it and to please contact local officials. The local first responder groups for
emergency services have been authorized and directed by Secretary Tom Ridge
to assist in any way. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is
coordinating that effort on behalf of the Department of Homeland Security.
I was here this morning with the families of the astronauts and their friends. It
started out as a pretty happy morning, as we awaited the landing of STS-107.
We had highly anticipated their return because we couldn’t wait to congratulate
them for their extraordinary performance and their excellent effort on this very
important science mission.

They dedicated their lives to pushing scientific challenges for all of us here on
Earth. They dedicated themselves to that objective and did it with a happy heart,
willingly and with great enthusiasm.
The loss of this valued crew is something we will never be able to get over. We
have assured the families that we will do everything, everything we can possibly
do to guarantee that we work our way through this horrific tragedy.
We ask the members of the media to honor that too. Please respect their privacy
and please understand the tragedy that they are going through at this time. We
will help the media assure that this will be the case as well.
We trust the prayers of the Nation will be with them and with their families. A
more courageous group of people you could not have hoped to know— an
extraordinary group of astronauts who gave their lives—and the families of these
crewmembers. They knew exactly the risks. And never, ever did we want to see
a circumstance in which this could happen.
We diligently dedicate ourselves every single day to assuring these things don’t
occur. And when they do we have to act responsibly, accountably and that is
exactly what we will do.

[Rhylan]

turbo, wow, shook the windows that much? I live out near Texas Motor Speedway and I didn't even wake up. The nearby train shakes my windows, though. Just goes to show how heavy I sleep, especially on Saturdays. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] My parents heard it in Hamilton.

Pretty surreal, to be driving to the ballgame tonite and see "CALL POLICE TO REPORT SPACE SHUTTLE DEBRIS" on traffic signs on I-35. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img]

[Dooby]

My neighbors heard it, but I was at work.

Last night, I went to see a movie. During the previews, they showed a preview for "The Core", wherein the space shuttle is struck by lightening and careens toward that ground. It crashlands safely, but it was very tense for the audience to see something like that so soon after the event. I read today they were pulling the advertisement.

[Drbio]

A friend of mine had debris all over his yard in Nacogdoches. We went to SFA together.

[Ummmmm Ok]

<< turbo, wow, shook the windows that much? I live out near Texas Motor Speedway and I didn't even wake up. The nearby train shakes my windows, though. Just goes to show how heavy I sleep, especially on Saturdays. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] >>



Oh man......don't tell me you live near me too. I just bought a house in Keller. Hmmm time to go buy me a house elsewhere. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

Damn where is the neighberhood going.... [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

[Chiwas]

Weird but a fact.



<< NASA Announces Procedure for Filing Damage Claims
NASA is accepting claims from individuals who may have suffered damage due to the Space Shuttle Columbia mishap. NASA is coordinating with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to address claims that require immediate action. Any person desiring to file a claim should complete U.S. Government Standard Form 95, &quot;Claim for Damage, Injury, or Death&quot; and send it to the closest of these NASA offices:

Office of the Chief Counsel
NASA Johnson Space Center
Mail Code: AL
2101 NASA Road 1
Houston, TX 77058
(281) 483-3021


Office of the General Counsel
NASA Headquarters
Mail Code: G
300 E St., SW
Washington, DC 20546
(202) 358-2450


Office of Chief Counsel
NASA Stennis Space Center
Mail Code: CA00
Building 1100
Stennis Space Center, MS 39529
(228) 688-2164


For more information on filing a claim, including downloadable forms, go to:

www.hq.nasa.gov/ogc/general_law/torttext.htm >>

[Chiwas]

Not a &quot;Bushism&quot; this time:


<< &quot;The cause of exploration and discovery is not an option we chose. It is a desire written in the human heart.&quot; >>

PRESIDENT BUSH