by D8TA 88 Replies latest jw friends
yes I remember the Challenger disaster like it was yesterday. The Columbia crew just remembered the disaster the other day, it was 17 years ago. It is so sad for all the families. All those in the Texas area they are saying if you find any pieces of the stuttle to call the authorities.
Will
Words fail me at another tragedy befalling the space program. CNN is reporting that there is no indication of terrorism involved. This is a very high risk business for those astronauts, but we all feel so saddened when something does happen.
I join others in saying my hearts goes out to the families of those on board and espedcially the Israeli's who had their very first astronaut on board for this mission. I also pray there are no ground casualties in Texas and ask for any down there to be careful and as NASA is requesting, if you run across any debris, please leave it alone and contact the authorities to retrieve it. Not only is it toxic, it could also be a critical piece containing information or clues as to what caused this terrible tragedy.
Lew W
This is an article about the special service for the Challenge accident that they just had the other day.
http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/01/28/shuttle.challenger.ap/index.html
Tuesday, January 28, 2003 Posted: 4:57 PM EST (2157 GMT)
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (AP) -- Space shuttle Columbia's astronauts joined Mission Control in a moment of silence Tuesday at the exact time 17 years ago that Challenger exploded in the sky.
NASA's work force, in orbit and on Earth, remembered not only the seven astronauts who died on January 28, 1986, but also the three who were killed by a fire in their Apollo spacecraft at the pad on January 27, 1967. At the launch site Tuesday, flags flew at half staff for the second day in a row.
The two tragedies, separated by 19 years and a single day, represent the space agency's darkest hours.
"It is today that we remember and honor the crews of Apollo 1 and Challenger. They made the ultimate sacrifice, giving their lives and service to their country and for all mankind," Columbia commander Rick Husband radioed a few minutes before the airwaves went silent.
"Their dedication and devotion to the exploration of space was an inspiration to each of us and still motivates people around the world to achieve great things and service to others."
The six Americans and one Israeli aboard Columbia marked their 12th day in space Tuesday. Their round-the-clock laboratory research mission, featuring more than 80 experiments, is due to end with a landing back at Kennedy Space Center on Saturday, Day 16.
On the international space station, the two U.S. astronauts and one Russian cosmonaut also paused to remember, and the airwaves fell silent there, too.
Challenger erupted in a fireball at 11:39 a.m. ET, 73 seconds after liftoff. The moment of silence Tuesday ended with 10 bell chimes at Johnson Space Center in Houston, one for each the 10 astronauts killed.
The Challenger crew included Christa McAuliffe, a New Hampshire teacher who had hoped to give lessons from space. Last week, NASA announced it will hire three to six teachers for its next astronaut class.
McAuliffe's backup, Barbara Morgan, will be on Columbia's next flight, to the international space station in November. She quit her Idaho teaching job in 1998 to become a full-fledged astronaut.
My heart goes out to the family and friends of those onboard. I remember the Challenger disaster as clear as day.
Elsewhere, Shutterbug, Valis, Jesika, Mega, Sixi, Comf, Bix Tex, Cruz, and everyone we care about living in that area, be careful......
add Wednesday, who lives here in dallas too. What an incredibly sad day. i am hearing some talk of terrorist activites on tv. This has international incident written all over it.
He fell swiftly, like a bullet, like a pebble, like an iron weight, objective, objective all of the time now, not sad or happy or anything, but only wishing he could do a good thing now that everything was gone, a good thing for just himself to know about.
When I hit the atmosphere, I'll burn like a meteor.
"I wonder," he said, "If anyone'll see me?"
*
The small boy on the country road looked up and screamed. "Look, Mom, look! A falling star!"
The blazing white star fell down the sky of dusk in Illinois.
"Make a wish," said his mother. "Make a wish."
From the short story "Kaleidoscope" written by Ray Bradbury.
I dont want to think of them as fallen astronauts. Maybe they are risen spirits playing amid the stars.
January 27, 1967 - Fire in Apollo spacecraft on pad - Crew of Three
January 28, 1986 - Challenger Explosion on Launch - Crew of Seven
February 1, 2003 - Columbia Breaks Up on Reentry - Crew of Seven
Separated by 19, 19, and 17 years respectively and within days of each other.
Bios for Columbia Crew:
Name: Rick D. Husband
Position: Commander
History: Husband, 45, made his second trip into space. The U.S. Air Force colonel and mechanical engineer piloted a shuttle flight in 1999, which included the first docking with the international space station.
Name: William C. McCool
Position: Pilot
History: The 40-year-old former test pilot made his first foray into space. The U.S. Navy commander and Naval Academy graduate was responsible for maneuvering the shuttle as part of several experiments.
Name: Michael P. Anderson
Position: Payload Commander
History: Anderson, 42, went into orbit once before, a 1998 shuttle flight that docked with the Russian
space station Mir. The U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel and physicist was responsible for the shuttle
science mission.
Name: David M. Brown
Position: Mission Specialist
History: The U.S. Navy captain made his first flight into space. Brown, 46, an aviator and flight surgeon, was working on many experiments, including numerous biological ones.
Name: Kalpana Chawla
Position: Mission Specialist
History: Born in India in 1961, Chawla earned an aerospace engineering doctorate from the University of Colorado in Boulder. Chawla, who has logged more than 375 hours in space, was the prime robotic arm operator on a shuttle flight in 1997.
Name: Laurel Clark
Position: Mission Specialist
History: Clark, 41, a U.S. Navy commander and flight surgeon, was making her first flight into space. A medical school graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Clark was taking part in a variety of biological experiments.
Name: Ilan Ramon
Position: Payload Specialist
History: Ramon, 47, is the first Israeli astronaut. A colonel and former fighter pilot in the Israeli air force, he saw combat experience in the Yom Kippur War in 1973 and the Lebanon War in 1982.
Edited by - Elsewhere on 1 February 2003 12:49:36
