This morrning the space shuttle Columbia broke up on arrival from space. Seven people on board. and some what of a coincidence because in 17 days would be the anniversary of the challenger blowing up. Please share your thoughts and feelings.......

I'm sorry to hear that. What happend? Where there any survivors?

It was coming back from the space station and at 6AM pacific standard time it broke up in earths atmosphere leaving a million peices to fall all over a couple states. there were no survivers......

Well that's another tragety. A very bad tragety.

My thoughts, sounding like a cynic...
"so how will they blame that one on saddam?"

That was the first thing i thought when i heard about it on another board.

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[SIZE=2]<span style="font-family:arial">Just before the break up of the shuttle happened the astronauts reported problems with heat sensors on the left wing and in one of the landing gear wells. I'm thinking this was due to the bits of debris seen falling off during the launch-while they didn't think so at the time it may have damaged the heat tiles enough in those areas (only my opinion there).

Dagger I did a small edit for you-it was the Columbia,not Columbus.</span>[/SIZE]

I'm terribly sorry to hear of this horrendous tragedy.

I think that the scavengers who are collecting souveniers or selling pieces of debris should be taken out in the public square and shot. You don't see that at planes crash site. Why would people do it in a tragedy of this magnitude?

Well I can't relly say that I feel anything. It happened so far away from my world that it's reading it in a ficion book or seing it in a movie.

As Mengsk pointed out there are dangers involwed in space traveling, and the risk of getting killed buring a mission is probably something the astrnauts are aware of. None the less, the familys have every right to grieve.

Data collected will probably help in making better vessels for future space trips.
Come to think of it, there are worse things that can happen to a man then to be able to go to space and serve science even if it means being killed in the end.
That's what I think.

Its been over 17 years since the Challenger disaster, 17 years is a pretty good track record as far as I am concerned.

As for these people collecting and selling the debris Manneman is right they should be shot.

I totally agree with you Lyndon, I would be very surprised if the piece that fell off during takeoff had nothing to do with it. It looks like to me that that piece that fell off damaged one of the tiles than on re-entry the heat fried the sensors.

My thoughts go out to the victims of this tragedy, their friends and families.

My sentiments exactly.

This one saddens me.

I live in the Space Coast region of Florida, watching the Shuttle launches and landings is something I've grown accustomed to, and unfortunately, something I take for granted. I did not witness the disaster.

The loss of life is very saddening, and the adverse economical impact of this tragedy will affect everyone in this area for years to come.

I just want to point out that I am in NO way in favor of executing people, no matter what they have done.

[SIZE=2]<span style="font-family:arial">The people that are grabbing these bits of the shuttle should be using some common sense and listen to the warning NASA put out-the debris could well have traces of various chemicals from the propellant systems and other areas that can be quite damaging if exposed to it.If some of them do get any sort of injury due to their callousness tat would be punishment enough I think.</span>[/SIZE]

Yeah...that was indeed a sad event that many of us have witnessed on the news reels.

But taking into account the actual event of traveling into space, this accident was, for lack of better words, long overdue.

Look at the whole picture for a moment. We all live on a round orb floating in the vastness of space...a vastness that we don't even know the boundries of; yet over the decades the human machine has been trying to break out of our comfortable boundries of Earth and explore the stars.

These are incredible risk takers, no matter how "routine" space shuttle flights have become; and sadly, it won't be the last tragedy that will bestow us in our attempts to search the boundries of space.

Also, lets not forget that for the space program this is a set-back; for seven families, this is a tremendous loss.

This is a sad tragedy especially not just the families but all the people that look up to the astronauts and there peers.

I feel particualarily(sp?) sorry for the young daughter of the Israeli astronaut who made the joke of the space shuttle going boom when TV interviewed her father. She will live for a while thinking what a horrible joke she made before seeing her father for one of the last times.

I have to agree that the track record for NASA is rather good and I am sure that this will not be the last accident in man's venture into the unknown.

Lolly mooha: I belive that you find those jokes rather funny but you must understand that many of APi:s members has a different point of view on the incidents.

How about you stop hurting and pissing people off and tell some good ole Drunken irish stupidity jokes instead?
I meen really, what are you trying to do, get your self banned?

[SIZE=2]<span style="font-family:arial">I've deleted Tiga's posts there due to the obvious lack of taste. Tiga,I would advise putting a bit more thought into your posts next time.</span>[/SIZE]

OK,OK.

I was just trying to tick rex off.

lets see, although i still find that funny, im sorry.

and moneyman, its Lolumuha Tiga, Al Bhed for Cyclone Duke. and i dont drink and resent my country for being known for its drink.

anyway, sorry.