Columbia

[Benji]

This is the image LB206 was looking at:

There are many other great cartoons (and some bad ones) in memory of Columbia and the 107 crew at

[Boomerang]

Thats it thanks Benji

[Vincent]

There are quite a few really great ones there...

...and then there are some that are not so great:

[Boomerang]

Well that one i dont like but it doesnt suprise me that they have ones like that.

[Richasi]

I'm half a world away (Firenze, currently) and it's big news here as well. I didn't know it happened until the next day. At first, my cousin who doesn't speak English (only Italian) said something happened to the Space Shuttle. I didn't believe her because I knew a shuttle wasn't scheduled to launch, thinking that's where a tragety would occur if one ever happened again. I never thought that one might happen durring a landing. My mother told me while I was speaking to her and you can't imagine the change of expression on my face when she told me Columbia broke up over Texas. Over here in Italy it doesn't seem real... but unfortunately I know it's all too real.

I don't know how the events will unfold but I hope to keep in touch and find out more through the remaining days of my trip. I honestly can't believe it's true... so sad.

Ricky

[Boomerang]

Well I hope you are enjoying your trip. Unfortunately it's all too real and it seems like the media is already losing intrest. The briefings NASA holds every day are cut down to a few minutes of coverage on the networks now but atleast you can still see them on c-span but not always live. Seems like for most of the US Media things have gone back to normal. I also wanted to point out to those of you here in the US who do get C-span the memorial service today at the National Cathedral will be broadcast on C-span i'm not sure if other networks like CNN are carrying it or not but it will be on at 10:00 am est.

[Boomerang]

Ok here is the latest PAO announcement that i've recieced although by the looks of it it should have been released yesterday but i didnt get it in my email till today.

STS-107
Report #23
Wednesday, February 5, 2003 - 7:00 p.m. CST
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

The search for clues about what caused Columbia's breakup during reentry
Saturday, and the hunt for key debris from the orbiter, expanded today with
recovery teams deployed in California and Arizona.

Four days after Columbia broke apart 16 minutes prior to landing, Space
Shuttle Program Manager Ron Dittemore said the inquiry into the cause for
Columbia's demise is &picking up speed&. But Dittemore said
efforts to draw any new information from an additional 32 seconds of data
acquired by ground computers following the loss of voice communications with
Columbia have so far been unsuccessful.

In a briefing, Dittemore said the engineering evaluation teams are focusing
their attention on &something other& than insulating foam on
Columbia's external tank that fell off 80 seconds after launch striking the
left wing, as the reason for the accident.

&It does not make sense that a piece of (foam) debris caused the loss
of Columbia and its crew,& Dittemore added. He reiterated Columbia
tried to compensate for increased drag on its left wing in the seconds prior
to its breakup, firing steering jets to right itself. But Dittemore said of
Columbia, &It was doing well, but it was losing the battle.&

As the engineering analysis continued, the remains of Columbia's astronauts
were flown to Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, where identification of the
astronauts will be completed. At the conclusion of the forensic analysis,
the remains will be released to the families for burial.

In an earlier briefing, Michael Kostelnik, NASA's Associate Administrator
for International Space Station and Space Shuttle, said the recovery
operations are moving ahead &full steam&, involving 2500 people
nationwide from federal and local agencies. Kostelnik said NASA has added a
task force to integrate the work between numerous engineering teams that are
reviewing over Columbia's data and the Columbia Accident Review board,
chaired by retired Navy Admiral Harold Gehman, Jr.

Kostelnik said that although a relatively small percentage of Shuttle debris
has been recovered so far, segments of large components such as Columbia's
nose cone and main engines have been found. The focus of the recovery effort
and the data analysis, according to Kostelnik, continues to be Columbia's
left wing area, although no element of the orbiter has been exonerated in
the ongoing inquiry.

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 6 Commander Ken Bowersox,
Flight Engineer Nikolai Budarin and NASA ISS Science Officer Don Pettit
spent the day unloading the Russian Progress resupply ship that docked to
the ISS Tuesday, carrying one ton of food, fuel and supplies.

Pettit unstowed replacement parts for the Microgravity Science Glovebox from
the Progress and installed them in the facility in the Destiny laboratory in
an effort to revive the Glovebox that has been dormant since November
following a power failure.

Pettit powered up the Glovebox, but a circuit breaker in the system popped
and payload controllers told Pettit to shut it down so they can evaluate its
current status.

On Thursday, NASA Television will broadcast a memorial ceremony for
Columbia's astronauts from National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. at 10:00
a.m. EST.

The next STS-107 Accident Response briefing will be held on Thursday at 4:30
p.m. EST from the Johnson Space Center, Houston, also on NASA TV, with
multi-center question and answer capability for reporters at NASA centers.

NASA TV is on AMC-2, Transponder 9C, vertical polarization at 85 degrees
west longitude, 3880 MHz, with audio at 6.8 MHz.

Status reports will be issued as developments warrant.

[Boomerang]

Here is the latest PAO announcement.

For Release: Feb. 5, 2003

KSC Contact: George Diller
(321) 867-2468

KSC Release No. 16 - 03

NOTE TO EDITORS:
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER TO HOLD EMPLOYEE MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR THE CREW OF
COLUMBIA ON FEB. 7

A ceremony to honor the crew of Space Shuttle Columbia -- NASA astronauts
Rick Husband, William McCool, Michael Anderson, David Brown, Kalpana Chawla,
Laurel Clark, and Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon -- is scheduled for Friday,
Feb. 7, at 8:15 a.m. EST at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Shuttle Landing
Facility (SLF) in Florida.

This is a private ceremony for NASA employees, contractors, and invited
guests. The ceremony will be carried live on NASA Television and available
on the Internet at http://www.ksc.nasa.gov.

NASA Television is available 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.

Media wishing to attend this event should be at the KSC Press Site no later
than 7:15 a.m. EST for transportation to the Shuttle Landing Facility.
Media access to KSC will begin at 6 a.m. EST. Bus transportation for those
media who must be escorted will also begin at 6 a.m. from Gate 3.
Television live trucks will not be permitted at the SLF. Unilateral hookups
for this event will be available at the Press Site. Media requiring
accreditation should contact the KSC Newsroom at (321) 867-2468 for
instructions.

Additional information about the STS-107 crew and the Space Shuttle Columbia
is available on the Internet at http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/.

-- end --

[Boomerang]

Well here is the latest PAO announcement. They are coming less and less frequently now. This one is announcing the time for todays press conference.



Glenn Mahone/Bob Jacobs
Headquarters, Washington Feb. 10, 2003
(Phone: 202/358-1600)

RELEASE: 03-061

NASA ADMINISTRATOR ADDRESSES REPORTERS
DURING NEXT COLUMBIA ACCIDENT BRIEFING

NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe will take reporters'
questions today at 3 p.m. EST during the next Space Shuttle
Accident Briefing from NASA Headquarters in Washington. The
briefing will be carried live on NASA Television from the
Headquarters' main auditorium.

William Readdy, Associate Administrator for Space Flight, and
Michael Kostelnik, Deputy Associate Administrator for the
International Space Station and Space Shuttle programs will
join Administrator O'Keefe.

Reporters at participating NASA field centers will be able to
ask questions. NASA Headquarters is located at 300 E Street,
SW, Washington.

NASA Television 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. The briefing will also be available on the Internet
at www.nasa.gov.


-end-

[Boomerang]

Well here is another PAO announcement. This time its a statement by the family of Astronaut David Brown Regarding emails he sent from orbit.

Glenn Mahone/Doc Mirelson
Headquarters, Washington Feb. 10, 2003
(Phone: 202/358-1600)

RELEASE: 03-062

DOUGLAS BROWN RELEASES STATEMENT ABOUT EMAILS

"I wanted to clarify a couple of facts reported recently
regarding my brother, Dave Brown, a member of the Columbia
STS 107 mission.
Dave sent several personal emails during the mission, but at
no time did he write about any concerns with damage to the
left wing of the orbiter or any other safety issues.
As they reached orbit, Dave took his planned photos of the
external tank separation, which is standard procedure. These
are the photos I discussed with Senator Allen.
When I asked Dave at Christmas what he would want me to say
if he didn't make it back, he said the program must go on. He
said "I accepted this risk when I took the job, just as I did
when I became a Naval aviator."

Douglas Brown
Feb. 6, 2003


David M. Brown was a captain in the U.S. Navy and was serving
as a Mission Specialist on the space Shuttle Columbia. He was
a naval aviator and a flight surgeon. STS-107 was his first
space flight.

For more information about NASA on the Internet:

www.nasa.gov



-end-

[Benji]

Everyone accepts the risks. None thought anything would actually happen, and it's terrible that it did. But the possiblity is always there and they know that. NASA's saftey record is amazing if you think about it, but we knew that it is impossible to go forever without people dying.

[Boomerang]

OK its PAO announcem,ent time again this will be the first of two. I'ts a statement by the families of the crew of STS-107. The seconfd one which i will post seperately is regarding future press conferences.

Glenn Mahone/Robert Mirelson
Headquarters, Washington Feb. 08, 2003
(Phone: 202/358-1600)

RELEASE: 03-060

ASTRONAUT SPOUSES & CHILDREN RELEASE STATEMENT

The Astronaut Spouses Group released the following
statement on Friday, Feb. 7.

"We, the spouses and children of the NASA astronaut corps,
would like to thank the people of the world from the bottom
of our hearts for the incredible outpouring of support and
love that you have shown us in our time of deep grief.

"NASA centers have been overwhelmed with cards, letters,
emails, and phone calls from you expressing your concern and
support. We have also received hundreds of personal calls,
emails, flowers, food, and cards at our homes. The makeshift
shrine in front of the Johnson Space Center is overflowing
with flowers, signs, and balloons from well wishers from all
over the world. Memorial services throughout the world have
honored our dear friends. You, our brothers and sisters of
the world community, have been a tremendous source of
comfort and love to us and we are so grateful. We are deeply
mourning our dear friends Rick, Willie, Mike, Kalpana, Ilan,
Laurel, and Dave and we ask that you continue to keep their
parents, wives, husbands, and children in your thoughts and
prayers.

"We would also like the world community to know that as
terrible and as difficult as this journey has been and will
continue to be for all of our families, we cannot stress
enough how blessed and honored we feel to be counted as
members of the NASA family. We proudly support the noble
goals and objectives of NASA and we will continue to support
NASA in its finest and its darkest hours. It is our deepest
hope that you also will continue to share in our belief and
support of NASA's dreams. We believe NASA is a beacon of
hope and light to all nations, for NASA has proven beyond
the shadow of a doubt, that peoples from all races, genders,
cultures, religions, and political backgrounds can transcend
those differences and become the closest of friends. And
these friends will continue to pursue space exploration and
scientific discovery for the single purpose of helping and
furthering all of mankind. Thank you for your love and
support.

"The husbands, wives, and children of the NASA Astronaut
Corps."


-end-

[Boomerang]

Ok here is the second PAO announcement for today. This one is regarding the first investigation team press confernece set for tommorow.


Glenn Mahone/Doc Mirelson
Headquarters, Washington Feb. 10, 2003
(Phone: 202/358-1600)

Steve Nesbitt
Johnson Space Center, Houston
(Phone: 281/483-5111)

RELEASE: 03-063

COLUMBIA ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION BOARD BRIEFING SET

The Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) will
conduct its first press conference on Tuesday, Feb. 11, at 3
p.m. EST. The press briefing is in the Teague auditorium at
the Johnson Space Center, Houston.

Board Chairman, retired Navy Admiral Harold W. Gehman Jr.,
and other board members, will discuss their activities to
date, CAIB structure, and plans for the investigation.

Other board members are: Maj. Gen. John L. Barry, director,
plans and programs, Headquarters USAF Materiel Command,
Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio; Brig. Gen Duane W. Deal,
commander 21st Space Wing, Peterson AFB, Colo.; James
Hallock, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Draper Lab);
Maj. Gen. Kenneth W. Hess, USAF chief of safety, Washington,
and commander, Air Force Safety Center, Kirtland Air Force
Base, N.M.; Scott Hubbard, director NASA Ames Research
Center, Calif.; Roger E. Tetrault, former chairman of
McDermott International, Inc.; Rear Adm. Stephen A.
Turcotte, commander, Naval Safety Center, Norfolk, Va.; and
Steven Wallace, Director, FAA Office of Accident
Investigation.

Theron M Bradley Jr., NASA's Chief Engineer; and Bryan D.
O'Connor, NASA's Associate Administrator are providing
NASA's support to the board for Safety and Mission
Assurance.

The press conference will be broadcast on NASA Television;
reporters may ask questions form selected NASA centers. NASA
Television 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.

More information about NASA is on the Internet at:
www.nasa.gov

-end-

[Boomerang]

Ok here is the latest PAO release this one is info from yesterdays press conference another one is to follow.


STS-107
Report #26
Monday, February 10, 2003 - 6 p.m. CST
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe reported today approximately 12,000 pieces
of debris from the Space Shuttle Columbia have been collected along a
500-mile swath between Ft. Worth, Texas, and the Louisiana-Texas border. The
debris is being tagged for identification and transported to the Kennedy
Space Center (KSC), Fla., for use in the on-going investigation.

There is no primary or favorite theory as to what caused the Feb. 1 Shuttle
accident. Fault-tree analysis and Probability Risk Assessments continue to
be important tools to ensure no possible cause is overlooked. NASA's focus
is on helping to determine the cause of the accident, finding solutions to
the problems, and returning to safe flight operations as soon as possible.

A section of reinforced carbon-carbon from the leading edge of a Shuttle
wing was recovered. It is believed to be from the left wing. Teams continue
to search for and collect debris. The first pieces of debris are expected to
begin the 18-hour journey by truck from Barksdale AFB to KSC on Tuesday and
arrive on Wednesday.

Administrator O'Keefe said that NASA has done its best to be open and
forthcoming with information about the accident investigation, and that it
is time to transition that responsibility to the independent Columbia
Accident Investigation Board (CAIB). NASA will continue to release
information periodically as appropriate as it becomes available. &We
will defer to the CAIB to set the pace of discussions of how the
investigation itself is progressing,& O'Keefe said. He added that the
Board will advise NASA when the data and hardware that has been impounded
will be released for continued Shuttle operations.

&We intend to fully support and ensure the Board has independence and
objectivity to proceed as its members feel appropriate,& Administrator
O'Keefe said. &We will defer to the CAIB to set the pace of discussions
of how the investigation is progressing.&

O'Keefe said that the NASA Inspector General has been an observer on the
ground from the beginning, helping to ensure the independence and
objectivity
of the CAIB under the terms of the Inspector General Act.

O'Keefe added that he intends to release the CAIB's recommendations to the
public as soon as they are available. &It is our responsibility to make
that informed judgment public,& he said, explaining that the scope and
breadth of the Board members' experience in aircraft and other types of
accidents is more than NASA could bring to bear on the investigation.

The CAIB will conduct its first press conference at 3 p.m. EST Tuesday, Feb.
11, in Teague Auditorium at the Johnson Space Center, Houston. Board
Chairman Harold W. Gehman Jr., will introduce CAIB members and discuss Board
structure, activities, and plans for the investigation.

The Expedition 6 crew aboard the International Space Station continued to
unpack supplies delivered aboard the Progress-10 resupply ship and to
prepare for a 6:34 a.m. EST Tuesday re-boost of the station using the
Progress thrusters. The re-boost will last about 22 minutes and increase the
Station's orbit approximately 7 miles.

Commander Ken Bowersox, Flight Engineer Nikolai Budarin and NASA Station
Science Officer Don Pettit will field questions from reporters during a news
conference starting at 9:34 a.m. EST, Tuesday. The news conference will be
broadcast on NASA Television with two-way question and answer capability
from reporters at NASA centers.

While Shuttle missions are on indefinite hold, there is no urgency to adjust
plans regarding the late April launch of a new Russian Soyuz TMA spacecraft
or the makeup of its crew. Supplies on the Station are sufficient through
June. There are enough propellants on board to maintain the Station's
altitude and attitude for a year. Options are being considered with the
International Partners to keep the station manned, safe and productive.
&First we need to keep the crew safe,& said Michael Kostelnik,
Deputy Associate Administrator for International Space Station and Space
Shuttle, &and second, is to keep the Station safe.&

NASA TV is available on AMC-2, Transponder 9C, vertical polarization at 85
degrees west longitude, 3880 MHz, with audio at 6.8 MHz.

For more information about NASA on the Internet:

www.nasa.gov



-------------------------------------------------------------

For automatic email subscriptions to this KSC originated press releases, send an Internet electronic mail message to mailto:[email protected]. With no subject or message. The system will reply with a confirmation via e-mail of each subscription.

To remove your name from the list at any time, send an email addressed to mailto:[email protected] . With no subject or message.

or you can (un)subscribe on the World Wide Web at: http://kscnews.ksc.nasa.gov/

Status reports and other NASA publications are available on the World Wide Web at: http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/kscpao.htm .

[Boomerang]

Well here is the second PAO announcement i've gotten today.

Glenn Mahone/Bob Jacobs
Headquarters, Washington Feb. 11, 2003
(Phone: 202/358-1600)

RELEASE: 03-065

COLUMBIA ACCIDENT CONGRESSIONAL HEARING
CARRIED ON NASA TELEVISION

A joint congressional hearing into the Space Shuttle
Columbia accident will be carried live on NASA Television
tomorrow, Feb. 12, beginning at 9:30 a.m. EST. The hearing is
in the Russell Caucus Room (SR-325), Russell Senate Office
Building, Washington.

NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe, Deputy Administrator
Frederick Gregory, and Associate Administrator of Space
Flight William Readdy will provide testimony about the
accident and the investigation being carried out by the Space
Shuttle Accident Investigation Board.

The joint hearing will be co-chaired by U.S. Senator John
McCain, who is a ranking member of the Senate Committee on
Commerce, Science and Transportation and U.S. Representative
Sherwood Boehlert, who chairs the House Science Subcommittee
on Space and Aeronautics.

NASA Television 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

Additional information about NASA and the accident is
available on the Internet at:

www.nasa.gov

[Boomerang]

OK its PAO announcement time again this time their are 3 new ones. Here is the first.

STS-107
Report #26
Monday, February 10, 2003 - 6 p.m. CST
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe reported today approximately 12,000 pieces
of debris from the Space Shuttle Columbia have been collected along a
500-mile swath between Ft. Worth, Texas, and the Louisiana-Texas border. The
debris is being tagged for identification and transported to the Kennedy
Space Center (KSC), Fla., for use in the on-going investigation.

There is no primary or favorite theory as to what caused the Feb. 1 Shuttle
accident. Fault-tree analysis and Probability Risk Assessments continue to
be important tools to ensure no possible cause is overlooked. NASA's focus
is on helping to determine the cause of the accident, finding solutions to
the problems, and returning to safe flight operations as soon as possible.

A section of reinforced carbon-carbon from the leading edge of a Shuttle
wing was recovered. It is believed to be from the left wing. Teams continue
to search for and collect debris. The first pieces of debris are expected to
begin the 18-hour journey by truck from Barksdale AFB to KSC on Tuesday and
arrive on Wednesday.

Administrator O'Keefe said that NASA has done its best to be open and
forthcoming with information about the accident investigation, and that it
is time to transition that responsibility to the independent Columbia
Accident Investigation Board (CAIB). NASA will continue to release
information periodically as appropriate as it becomes available. &We
will defer to the CAIB to set the pace of discussions of how the
investigation itself is progressing,& O'Keefe said. He added that the
Board will advise NASA when the data and hardware that has been impounded
will be released for continued Shuttle operations.

&We intend to fully support and ensure the Board has independence and
objectivity to proceed as its members feel appropriate,& Administrator
O'Keefe said. &We will defer to the CAIB to set the pace of discussions
of how the investigation is progressing.&

O'Keefe said that the NASA Inspector General has been an observer on the
ground from the beginning, helping to ensure the independence and
objectivity
of the CAIB under the terms of the Inspector General Act.

O'Keefe added that he intends to release the CAIB's recommendations to the
public as soon as they are available. &It is our responsibility to make
that informed judgment public,& he said, explaining that the scope and
breadth of the Board members' experience in aircraft and other types of
accidents is more than NASA could bring to bear on the investigation.

The CAIB will conduct its first press conference at 3 p.m. EST Tuesday, Feb.
11, in Teague Auditorium at the Johnson Space Center, Houston. Board
Chairman Harold W. Gehman Jr., will introduce CAIB members and discuss Board
structure, activities, and plans for the investigation.

The Expedition 6 crew aboard the International Space Station continued to
unpack supplies delivered aboard the Progress-10 resupply ship and to
prepare for a 6:34 a.m. EST Tuesday re-boost of the station using the
Progress thrusters. The re-boost will last about 22 minutes and increase the
Station's orbit approximately 7 miles.

Commander Ken Bowersox, Flight Engineer Nikolai Budarin and NASA Station
Science Officer Don Pettit will field questions from reporters during a news
conference starting at 9:34 a.m. EST, Tuesday. The news conference will be
broadcast on NASA Television with two-way question and answer capability
from reporters at NASA centers.

While Shuttle missions are on indefinite hold, there is no urgency to adjust
plans regarding the late April launch of a new Russian Soyuz TMA spacecraft
or the makeup of its crew. Supplies on the Station are sufficient through
June. There are enough propellants on board to maintain the Station's
altitude and attitude for a year. Options are being considered with the
International Partners to keep the station manned, safe and productive.
&First we need to keep the crew safe,& said Michael Kostelnik,
Deputy Associate Administrator for International Space Station and Space
Shuttle, &and second, is to keep the Station safe.&

NASA TV is available on AMC-2, Transponder 9C, vertical polarization at 85
degrees west longitude, 3880 MHz, with audio at 6.8 MHz.

For more information about NASA on the Internet:

www.nasa.gov

[Boomerang]

and the second.

Glenn Mahone/Bob Jacobs
Headquarters, Washington Feb. 11, 2003
(Phone: 202/358-1600)

RELEASE: 03-065

COLUMBIA ACCIDENT CONGRESSIONAL HEARING
CARRIED ON NASA TELEVISION

A joint congressional hearing into the Space Shuttle
Columbia accident will be carried live on NASA Television
tomorrow, Feb. 12, beginning at 9:30 a.m. EST. The hearing is
in the Russell Caucus Room (SR-325), Russell Senate Office
Building, Washington.

NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe, Deputy Administrator
Frederick Gregory, and Associate Administrator of Space
Flight William Readdy will provide testimony about the
accident and the investigation being carried out by the Space
Shuttle Accident Investigation Board.

The joint hearing will be co-chaired by U.S. Senator John
McCain, who is a ranking member of the Senate Committee on
Commerce, Science and Transportation and U.S. Representative
Sherwood Boehlert, who chairs the House Science Subcommittee
on Space and Aeronautics.

NASA Television 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

Additional information about NASA and the accident is
available on the Internet at:

www.nasa.gov

[Boomerang]

And last so far but not least.

STS-107
Report #27
Tuesday, February 11, 2003 - 2 p.m. CST
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

STS-107 Mishap Response Status Report #1

Columbia debris recovery efforts continued today centered in areas of
eastern Texas and western Louisiana. More than 1,600 recovered items are at
Barksdale Air Force Base, Shreveport, La. Barksdale is the central field
collection point for debris being shipped to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC),
Fla., to begin Shuttle Columbia reconstruction.

In addition, more than 300 items are at each of the field collection sites
in Lufkin, Palestine and San Augustine, Texas, awaiting shipment to
Barksdale. A smaller volume is at Carswell Naval Air Station in Fort Worth,
Texas. Shipments of debris from Barksdale AFB to KSC begin this week. Two
truckloads of items departed Louisiana en-route to KSC today.

No confirmed debris has been recovered west of the Fort Worth area. Teams
continue to investigate reports from 27 states and eight jurisdictions
outside of the U.S. Of 179 reports received from California, 105 have been
closed. Of 162 reports in Arizona, eight have been closed. Of 12 reports in
New Mexico, four have been closed.

To assist recovery efforts, searchers are using Civil Air Patrol volunteers,
airborne radar and other assets. U.S. Navy assets also may be used to search
the waters of Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn reservoirs due to several
eyewitness reports of debris entering those lakes. The search may continue
for several weeks. Civil Air Patrol volunteers also are searching west of
the Fort Worth area in regions along Columbia's flight path.

Preliminary identification of some debris reported by the Mishap
Investigation Team included a roughly two-foot square section of an external
tank umbilical door, a hydrazine propellant tank and electronics equipment
from the Ku-band communications system. The Ku-band communications debris
was erroneously identified yesterday as one of Columbia's five flight
control computers, known as General Purpose Computers (GPCs). No GPCs have
been identified among recovered items. All identifications of items are
preliminary.

On the International Space Station, Expedition Six Commander Ken Bowersox,
NASA Station Science Officer Don Pettit and Flight Engineer Nikolai Budarin
took time out from unpacking items delivered by a Progress-10 Russian supply
craft for their first news conference since the Columbia accident. The
conference took place about three hours after the Progress' thrusters
boosted the altitude of the station approximately 6.5 miles to an orbit of
240 x 255 miles.

Bowersox said the crew first heard of the loss of Columbia from Johnson
Space Center Director Jefferson Howell, and the crew is being kept apprised
of the status of the accident investigation.

&My first reaction was pure shock,& Bowersox said. &I was
numb, and it was hard to believe that what we were experiencing was really
happening. And then as reality wore on, we were able to feel some
sadness.&

Bowersox said Mission Control has reduced the crew's schedule to allow time
for grief and reflection, and the crew was provided ample opportunity for
communication with families for emotional support.

&We've had time to grieve for our friends, and that was very important.
When you're up here this long, you can't just bottle up your emotions and
focus all of the time,& Bowersox said. &It's important for us to
acknowledge that the people on STS-107 were our friends, that we had a
connection with them, and that we feel their loss, and each of us had a
chance to shed some tears. But now, it's time to move forward and we're
doing that slowly,& he said.

Bowersox and Pettit said they have told Mission Control they are willing to
stay in orbit for a year or more if necessary, and they would consider the
extra time a bonus, not a hardship. They said that if it were decided that a
two-person crew should relieve them, that crew would be kept busy
maintaining station systems but could still perform useful research.

&There would be time to do some level of research, and by virtue of
having people here, you are always doing research on your body itself,
looking at the effects of long duration, weightlessness on the human
physiology,& Pettit said.
&So it's important to keep people on Station. If we could continue to
collect data and life science data in data sets for 10 or 15 year periods,
it may actually turn out to be one of the more valuable data sets we
get,& he said.

The Expedition Six crew will conduct additional interviews with ABC, CNN and
NBC starting at 9:30 a.m. CST Wednesday. The interviews will be broadcast
live on NASA Television. NASA TV is available on AMC-2, Transponder 9C,
vertical polarization at 85 degrees west longitude, 3880 MHz, with audio at
6.8 MHz.

For more information about NASA on the Internet:

www.nasa.gov

[Benji]

Except for the PDA post in the Hab (which has 10 pages!), this post has the most replies. It certainly should. I've heard of and seen photos of the AS-204 fire (Apollo 1 test) and the STS-51L disaster, but I was alive for this one. It's not something I learned in history, it really affects me. The images of all three of these events will forever be etched into my mind, but this one will be foremost for several reasons. This was the first launch I had tickets for, and it really was an awesome sight. This mission is a reminder not to ever get cocky about anything, because a perfect mission like this one can end in such a horrifying disaster. Also, the hopes and dreams of an entire nation were with this mission, and Israel was extremely proud of their astronaut, even before the disaster. I still find it all hard to believe.

[Boomerang]

Well i was alive for 2 of the 3 above mentioned events. And i'll never forget either of them. I saw both happen liveas the stories broke on TV. And those images will be forever etched in my mind.