Randon Entries:

MY memories of the Challenger as we say goodbye to Columbia...
TIME: 11:31 p.m.

DATE: Saturday, Feb. 01, 2003



I am feeling: <


One Year ago Today Quotes or thoughts: Not a good time for me....At least on my diary, didnt' know html at that time.
Last Year's Entry Link:
MY diary was plum flunk up at that time.



TODAY'S HEADLINES, HILARIOUS JUNK, AND SIDE STORIES

This Morning I woke up and and turn on the tv and saw the terrible accident of the Columbia. It was so awful. I thought at first they were talking about the Challenger that was 17 years ago. And instead it was a tragedy that happen today. Watching this reminded me about the Challenger. I remember I was sitting in Biology class when they turn on the tv and it was Channel one and they were doing something special. And it was that. What it brought to reality was the fact that a teacher was in it as well. She was wanting to go to space and she didn't even made it. It was so awful to see the accident. They didn't show it much but it was sad. I remember them investigating it and that was it. The only one that they talk about was the teacher. That was then, this is now. When I first watch it, they said that not all of the family members knew about the accident. I thought how awful for those family members to watch it on tv about it. Unless they were estrain and didn't know if they were on board, those family members would know just by saying the Columbia. That would have been so sad and what was more say. They show the that movie over and over and over and over again. The more they showed, I really think this is when a lot of people get so desensitized. I do want to command CNN. They did show that movie a lot. For the first time, we heard all seven astronants and not only know their names but know a lot about them. They became real to us and it was so sad. Four out of the seven, it was their first space experience. How it is so sad that they can't tell their love ones the experience. It is the first one where an Isreal scientist got on board. And there was an African American and two women including one from India. This is so multi culture. This is the face of AMerica. Four or Five of them were married and Five have children. How that is so sad. Each one had huge, and I mean huge distinctions. How sad it is to see young ones leave. President Bush really move me to tears. What he said around 2:00 really moved me. That was so wonderful how he talk about those wonderful beloved astronants. Well here the news report I obtain....And there is a picture down below..... News Report from this afternoon.....

JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, Texas (Feb. 1) - The space shuttle Columbia broke apart on Saturday as it reentered the Earth's atmosphere high over Texas, killing all seven astronauts and plunging the nation into a sense of grief not felt since the Sept. 11 tragedy.

The disaster, almost 17 years to day that seven astronauts were killed in the Challenger explosion, placed the space shuttle program on hold as investigators began searching a debris field stretching hundreds of miles across heavily wooded areas of Texas and adjoining states.

Those killed were the commander of the 16-day mission, Rick Husband, and a team of dedicated professionals that included an Indian-born U.S. woman scientist and the first Israeli in space, Ilan Ramon, the son of Holocaust survivors who had been the lead pilot in the 1981 bombing raid that destroyed a nuclear reactor being built in Iraq.

With the United States jumpy about the countdown to possible war with Iraq and the Israeli astronaut included in the shuttle crew, officials were quick to rule out terrorism. "At this time we have no indication that the mishap was caused by anything or anyone on the ground," NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe said.

Dramatic television images of the shuttle's descent showed several white trails, seemingly tinged with fire, streaking through crystal clear blue skies after the shuttle suddenly fell apart just 16 minutes from home.

The disaster 40 miles above the Earth sent thunderous shock waves rolling across eastern Texas.

A grim-faced President George W. Bush led the nation in mourning. "The Columbia is lost. There are no survivors," he said in a message broadcast on television. "The crew of the shuttle Columbia did not return safely to Earth but we can pray that they are safely home," the president said.

ISRAELI ASTRONAUT, HUGE SECURITY

VIPs who were lined up to greet the returning astronauts at Kennedy Space Center in Florida were led away from a grandstand near the shuttle's landing strip by NASA officials after reports of the break-up. They included Israeli astronaut Ramon's wife and children.

Israelis and Americans watched their televisions in shock as details of the space craft's fate unfolded.

Speculation on the cause of the accident immediately centered on the loss of temperature sensors in the spacecraft's left-wing on reentry -- an area that had been hit by a piece of foam rubber insulation just after the mission's launch.

Officials said they would look closely at the impact of the foam insulation that had struck the orbiter's left wing.

"We lost data and that's when we clearly began to know that we had a bad day," Ron Dittemore, NASA's space shuttle program manager, told reporters as he fought back tears. "We're devastated."

Dittemore said the insulation came off the fuel tanks at liftoff on Jan. 16 and banged into the spacecraft's left wing, but was judged by ground controllers not to have damaged the orbiter's critical heat shield.

But on Saturday, after the Columbia had reentered the earth's atmosphere to head home, sensors in the left wing began to fail in a possible indication that excessive heat was seeping into the shuttle structure, he said.

The shuttle's disintegration spread possibly toxic debris over a wide swath of Texas and neighboring states. The corridor of debris could be toxic because of poisonous rocket propellant.

The disaster came on the heels of the 17th anniversary of the Challenger disaster on Jan. 28, 1986 and in a poignant moment, astronauts on board Columbia had observed a minute's silence in their memory last Tuesday.

THE MOST DANGEROUS MOMENTS

Take-off and reentry into the atmosphere are the most dangerous parts of a space mission. But in 42 years of U.S. human space flight, there had never been an accident during the descent to Earth or landing. Challenger exploded just after take-off.

Administration officials said the shuttle had been way beyond surface-to-air missile range, and no threat had been received targeting the spacecraft.

NASA, which was assembling debris from the shuttle for its inquiry, put future shuttle flights on hold until it had worked out the cause of the Columbia loss.

At the Vatican, Pope John Paul prayed for the dead astronauts during a mass at St. Peter's Basilica. Condolences poured in from the leaders of a raft of countries including Britain, France and Germany.

NASA lost contact with the shuttle, which was completing a 16-day mission, at around 9 a.m. EST while it was 207,000 feet above Earth.

"The first indications of a potential problem .... were of the loss of sensors, temperature sensors in the hydraulic systems on the left," Dittemore said at Johnson Space Center.

"They were followed seconds and minutes later by several other problems, including loss of tire pressure indications on the left main gear," he said.

On Friday, NASA flight entry director, Leroy Cain, was asked about possible damage to the left wing of the orbiter which might have occurred on lift-off. He said analyses by NASA engineers had shown any damage to be minor, adding: "We're not working any concerns on the orbiter."

DISASTER RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT SPACE TRAVEL

The accident is likely to raise questions over the longevity of the shuttle fleet as Columbia was NASA's oldest shuttle and first flew in 1981. It was 32 months after the Challenger disaster before NASA flew a space shuttle again.

It also raised questions about the resupply of the International Space Station. The shuttle is the main resupply vehicle for the outpost in space.

Bush was grieving for the astronauts but adamant. "The cause in which they died will continue," he said, adding: "Our journey into space will go on."

Besides Husband and Ramon, the Columbia crew consisted of Pilot William McCool, Payload Commander Michael Anderson, Mission Specialist David Brown, Mission Specialists Laurel Clark and Kalpana Chawla, the first Indian-born woman in space.

Nacogdoches, Texas, received one report of the finding of what appeared to be a door from the orbiter.

"We do have a debris field. It is scattered all throughout Nacogdoches," said Victoria Lafollett, city manager of Nacogdoches about 145 miles northeast of Houston.

A spokesman for Nacogdoches County said jurisdiction over any human remains that are found had been handed to the FBI.

Picture below:

All seven astronauts aboard the space shuttle Columbia were killed after it broke up just 16 minutes from its scheduled landing at Kennedy Space Center (news - web sites) in Florida on February 1, 2003, the U.S. space agency NASA (news - web sites) said. 'The loss of this valiant crew is something we will never be able to get over,' NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe said at a news briefing. A December 20, 2002 file photo shows (L-R) Mission Commander Rick Husband, Pilot William McCool, Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon (the first Israeli astronaut), Payload Commander Michael Anderson, Mission Specialist David Brown, Payload Commander Michael Anderson, Mission Specialist Laurel Clark and Kalpana Chawla.



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Backup Five Steps

I will be here tomorrow - Wednesday, Feb. 09, 2005

Gosh I think I am able to breath - Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2004

That is my relative, ziggy - Monday, Nov. 01, 2004

no bright eyes but always bushy tail - Thursday, Oct. 28, 2004

litte update from me.... - Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2004

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