Columbia

[Richasi]

I'm curious to know when their names will be added to the Astronaut Memorial at KSC. If it hasn't happened already (30 days out of country tends to scramble brain on domestic affairs).

I'm gonna have to go over there some time shortly....

[Boomerang]

I don't know when it will happen exactly but i've heard several times that they plan to add them.

[ApolloXI]

NBC Nightly News has reported that it is possiable that launches could remuse as ealry has the summer. The Russian Goverment has stalled launching a Soyuz because they want more money. They seem to have pointed at the thorey of tile damage. The shuttle dir. wants ways to check tile problems in sapce and fix them, but as we all know that every pice of the shuttle's tile in diffent from all the other. This means that we would have to have a shuttle in space just for tile replacment which we could take off of.

[Boomerang]

Well now if they could develop some type of tile repair kit and outfit every flight with a docking mechanism the station could be used for repairs. The remaining 3 shuttles can all dock with the station even carrying heavy payloads columbia couldnt. Now if they can develop a repair kit and a method for repair they might actually beable to do the repairs in space. I think its probably possible with some work.

[Benji]

I'm leaning away from the tile theory. I don't know who I am to disagree with a NASA review board, but it doesn't seem to me that a few damaged tiles would cause this problem.

[Boomerang]

if the tiles were in the right place they could. And along the leading edge of the wing or along the bottom would be the right place.another theory has been the left landing gear blowing out damaging the doors covering the gear. I can believe that possible infact from day 1 when i heard the last communications about the tire pressure i theorised about that idea.

[Boomerang]

ok here is the first of the two newest PAO releases on columbia.

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, February 20, 2003 4:19 PM
To: undisclosed-recipients
Subject: CAIB ADVANCED SIGHTINGS TEAM STATUS


Glenn Mahone/Doc Mirelson
Headquarters, Washington Feb. 20, 2003
(Phone: 202/358-1600)

Laura Brown
Columbia Accident Investigation Board
(Phone: 281/283-7565)

RELEASE: 03-078

CAIB ADVANCED SIGHTINGS TEAM STATUS

The Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB)
Advanced Sightings Team is working to pinpoint the location
of hardware that may have separated from the Space Shuttle
Columbia early in its final path over the western United
States.

The team is bringing together data from the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the public,
Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Energy (DOE), the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the
United States Geologic Survey (USGS) and all other sources of
valuable information that become available. The collaboration
of all these organizations has been outstanding. The team is
piecing together the information from these sources to learn
as much as possible about anomalous conditions during the
entry of Columbia. Examples of information that is being
brought to bear are:
* On orbit photography and analysis- DOD
* Radar searches- DOD
* Infrasonic data- DOE, NOAA
* Tracking of possible on orbit object from Columbia 1/17/
03 and analysis- DOD
* Launch Analysis- DOD
* Identification of entry shedding events- DOD
* Kirtland photo analysis- DOD

This team is analyzing video footage turned in by space
flight enthusiasts and other sources of information to
document exactly when these events occurred. The earliest
shedding of Shuttle hardware may well have been documented by
videos taken near the California coast. The team identifies
anomalous events from the video data and correlates them to
the entry timeline.

Analysts calculate the exact time and angles of the
observation by determining exactly where the videos were
taken from and by identifying planets or star fields in the
background. The team calculates trajectories to predict
probabilities of where the debris may have fallen to Earth by
estimating properties of possible debris from the video and
incorporating known atmospheric and wind data. Radar data is
then retrieved and investigated to search for specific
signatures. This process serves to drastically reduce the
area that must be searched.

The Advanced Sightings Team is making significant progress in
accurately characterizing possible debris events. They are in
the process of making the subsequent calculations and taking
the next steps. The most western find is still not far from
Fort Worth, Texas. Using this process and other possible
means, we hope debris discovered farther west would help to
unravel the mystery of why this tragedy occurred.

The CAIB and NASA continue to encourage all who have videos
or who identify potential Columbia hardware to contribute to
the success of this investigation by contacting us as soon as
possible. If you find hardware, you should contact local
authorities. Avoid touching it in case it is contaminated
with toxic substances.

The public can contact the CAIB toll free at: 1-866/446-6603;
or by email at:

[email protected]
-end-



* * *

NASA press releases and other information are available automatically
by sending an Internet electronic mail message to [email protected].
In the body of the message (not the subject line) users should type
the words "subscribe press-release" (no quotes). The system will
reply with a confirmation via E-mail of each subscription. A second
automatic message will include additional information on the service.
NASA releases also are available via CompuServe using the command
GO NASA. To unsubscribe from this mailing list, address an E-mail
message to [email protected], leave the subject blank, and type only
"unsubscribe press-release" (no quotes) in the body of the message.



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[Boomerang]

Oops sorry that was the only one regarding columbia. The other one was a press release about a groundbreaking for a new building at KSC.

[Richasi]

I was watching "Hail Columbia" last night and it was a bit strange watching the shuttle on TV.

One of the things that hit home, however, was a question by reporters over the shuttle's tiles wondering what would happen if one or two fell off. Of course, at that time it was an untested piece of shielding so the questions were relevant. Just a little ironic that what was questioned before the launch of the shuttle originally is being questioned in its breakup.

[ApolloXI]

Jonathan McDowell of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics maintains a handy review of new space launchings via the well-written Jonathan's Space Report. But he has taken a shot at, what he terms, NASA's "fit of apparent bureaucratic insanity".

Turns out that the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's Orbital Information Group (OIG) has removed orbital data called "elements" for Columbia's STS-107 mission.

Columbia and its seven-person crew were lost over the skies of Texas on Saturday, Feb 1, as the spacecraft was re-entering Earth's atmosphere to wrap up a 16-day science mission.
That information -- such as the space plane's inclination and high and low altitudes throughout the mission -- once made available to the public, has been secured for the duration of the investigation and review period into the Columbia disaster.
In the place of Columbia tracking information, a "No elements available" is now on the OIG web site.

McDowell complains in an Internet posting: "It seems totally at variance with the openness of the rest of the investigation, and just begs for conspiracy theorists and UFO nuts to start thinking NASA has something to hide. I completely understand wanting not to release preliminary engineering analysis from the investigation, but this is data that was made available in a standard way while the mission was still up, and was circulated as it came out on several internet lists."

Why are the ufo therioest says that NASA is always covering something up.

[Boomerang]

Well the questions about the tiles before the flight wasnt unusual mainly because of what happened when Columbia was flown from Palmdale to KSC. When Columbia was flown to KSC on the 747 it lost a good portion of its tiles. Their was alot of question as to whether the tiles could be held on through the rather violent liftoff and acceleration. If you see the pictures of columbia being demated from the 747 to be taken to the orbiter processing facility it wasnt pretty. And NASA had to do alot of work to develop a new aghesive for the tiles. Which overall seemed to work for 112 flights.

[Boomerang]

Ok time for the latest update from the Columbia Accident Investigation board so here it is.

STS-107 Mishap Response Status Report #9
Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2003 - 5 p.m. CST

The investigation into the loss of Space Shuttle Columbia is increasing in
depth as well as breadth, retired Adm. Harold W. "Hal" Gehman, chairman of
the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, said this afternoon. "Our
commitment and resolve to get to the bottom of this is undiminished."

Gehman and three other members of the CAIB, Air Force Brig. Gen. Duane W.
Deal, Air Force Maj. Gen. Kenneth W. Hess and NASA Ames Research Center
director Scott Hubbard, spoke at a news conference at Johnson Space Center.

Gehman showed photos of a piece of Columbia heat-resistant tile found just
west of Fort Worth, Texas. The tile had grooves in the ends of its bottom
side and orange-colored deposits on its outward-facing surface. Gehman said
the tile had sustained extreme heat damage. "This is not re-entry heat
damage," he said. It remains to be determined, he added, how the damage to
the tile occurred, as well as when and how the orange material was
deposited.

He also talked about the western-most find of Shuttle debris to date, a
piece of tile found about 40 miles northwest of Lubbock, Texas. He said the
tile is believed to be from the upper surface of the left wing, near its
attachment to the fuselage.

Deal, part of a group looking at material, maintenance and management issues
for the board, said the CAIB is looking for a cause, in part through a
process of elimination. "Our duty is to examine everything objectively," he
said.

Board members were asked about the object observed on radar moving away from
the orbiting Shuttle on Jan. 17 and re-entering the atmosphere three days
later over the South Pacific. Board members described it as a lightweight
material, about 1 foot by 1 foot in size. An extensive analysis of radar
data that began after the Columbia accident led to the discovery of the
object on Feb. 6. That analysis is continuing in an effort to determine the
identity of the object.

Hess said the board would compare STS-107 with other Columbia re-entries. He
said some commanders have reported wing roughness, while others didn't
notice. Gehman said the board is looking carefully at weather at re-entry on
Feb. 1, which he said was "in general, a particularly calm and benign
environment."

In response to a question, Gehman said the board is looking very carefully,
"from a dozen points of view," at the three Boeing analyses of possible tile
damage from foam insulation from the external tank. No conclusions have
been reached, he said.
.
"The data and twisted metal are speaking to us," Hubbard said. "We're just
developing ears to hear."

Gehman said debris continues to come in, and continues to be very important
to the investigation. In terms of weight, approximately 10 percent of the
orbiter has been recovered, he said.

Texas weather Tuesday hampered the search for debris as rain and cold
temperatures swept through the area. Teams based in Nacogdoches and Hemphill
searched throughout the day. Ice kept search teams based in Corsicana in
camp Tuesday, while teams from Palestine searched for half a day.


Low ceilings at mid-day kept search aircraft on the ground. Navy dive teams
at Toledo Bend Reservoir began operations about noon. More than 4,000
searchers and support personnel from 38 states were in the area Tuesday,
focusing on the 10- by 240-mile area from south of Dallas to Toledo Bend. No
confirmed Columbia debris has been found west of the Littlefield, Texas
area.

Finds reported during the past two days include a number of Shuttle tiles,
and what appeared to be a panel from the lower surface of the right wing and
a piece of the lower forward fuselage of Columbia.

The effort to consolidate three search coordination field offices, Barksdale
AFB, La., the Joint Reserve Base (Carswell Field), Texas and Hemphill,
Texas, into the main facility at Lufkin, Texas, should be completed this
week.

For more information about board activities on the Internet visit the CAIB's
new website:

www.caib.us <http://www.caib.us>

-end-



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[Boomerang]

Well the cloumbia crew video has been released. I saw most of it on Fox News earlier today but i hope they will show it again later so i can tape it. For those who don't know NASA recovered digital video filmed by Laurel Clark that last about 13 minutes and ends 4 minutes before the first indication of problems. If you haven't seen the video yet it shows Rick Husband, William McCool, Laurel Clark and Chawla sorry dont know how to spell her first name on the flight deck of Columbia as its starting down into the atmosphere. Clark is filming and turns the camera toward herself several times as well. You can see outside of the front windows as its starting to turn orange and she also films the plasma build up around the tail through the overhead windows. You can also see the reentry thrusters firing on the nose. You can tell the crew has no idea whats going to happen in a few minutes time. Communications sounded normal and the crew is light hearted and joking. Its eerie to see but i'm glad the released it after the families saw it first.

[Boomerang]

Well just an update. Cspan will be reshowing the film tonight at 8pm est.

[LaRsOnAtRiXkIx]

Well just an update. Cspan will be reshowing the film tonight at 8pm est.

grr im not guna be home then, ive seen a few short clips from it on various news channels but i want to see the whole thing. maybe it will be on again? hmm.

[Boomerang]

Well you can always tape it but id check their schedule it will probably be on later tonight too.

[sts205cdr]

[post deleted]

[Boomerang]

True it was good to see them alive one last tim. Its too bad they only have film from the flight deck though and not the mid deck. Also i heard earlier NASA is planning to release film next week a combination of much of the break up film taken from the ground including what they said appears to be a large chunk breaking off over the west coast.

[orion8]

if the tiles were in the right place they could. And along the leading edge of the wing or along the bottom would be the right place

Indeed so.

Most people seem to believe that the leading edge of orbiters wings consists of some piece of metal protected by heat tiles; this is not actually the case. The local TPS actually is the leading edge. Substantial damage to this area could cause structural strength degradation from convective heating (remember, the air around the orbiter is hotter than the orbiter itself), as well as aerodynamic force imbalances (such as those that destroyed Challenger.)

[Boomerang]

Well getting back to an earlier Columbia subject mentioned hear on some part of the thread. Well to make all the people who payed a thousand dollars or more on ebay for a mission patch of sts-107 they have now been shipped again to various stores. The air and space center here now has 3 hooks full on our rack still selling for 4 dollars a piece. Also we got several new comemorative items including a patch that incudes the name of the shuttle, 1981-2003 and the mission emblems for STS-1 and STS-107. we also got in a pin and coin that essentialy look the same and have the STS-107 mission insignia on an american flag back ground with Columbia STS-107 February 1, 2003 and seven stars on it. just some things you might look for if you collect that sort of stuff like i do. I bouth the comemorative patch and pin and am debating whether to buy the coin or not.