Space Shuttle Just Blew Up

It is not looking good in any case.

If you see the pictures, I don't think it ever looked good. There is no ejection system.

no, if its blown up theres no way for them to survive.

A space shuttle on re-entry is a giant glider, the most difficult machine to fly in the world - a lot of it is done by computer because of this. As mouse says there is no ejection system - simply because its not possible to equip one into such an aircraft

From AOL news.


NASA has lost contact with Space Shuttle Columbia - and fears are that it has broken up over Texas.

Residents say they heard a "big bang" minutes before the shuttle's scheduled landing in Florida. There have also been reports of debris falling.

Mission control lost contact with the shuttle - which was carrying seven astronauts - as it headed over Texas. Search and rescue teams in the Dallas and Fort Worth areas have been alerted.

Columbia was at an altitude of 200,700ft and travelling at 12,500mph when mission control lost contact. There was no further communication and no further tracking data.

Reporters at the landing strip were ordered away seven minutes after the scheduled touchdown, with still no sign of the shuttle.

In 42 years of human space flight, Nasa has never lost a space crew during landing, or the ride back to orbit. In 1986, space shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after lift-off.

Security has been tight for the 16-day scientific research mission, which included the first Israeli astronaut. Ilan Ramon became the first man from his country to fly in space when Columbia launched on January 16.

The shuttle, which authorities had feared would be a terrorist target, was also carrying six Americans.

Nasa said yesterday that damage to some of the shuttle's thermal tiles was believed to be minor and posed no safety concern.

Tragic , just like "Chalenge".................... R.I.P........

it's on tv right now. awful

This is so sad, I was over at my boyfriend's house asleep when his friend called and told him to turn on the tv. We sat and watched it for a bit. There is only so much of it that you can watch.

My heart goes out to the families and friends of the shuttle's crew. RIP

Was confirmed here a little while ago that all 7 were killed

People die every day. Why should this be any different? Maybe because it happened in the US. I don't see anybody mention the plane crash in East Timor, orthe train crash in Sydney, Australia. That killed more people thian this 'disaster'. I makes me laugh when I see people pretend to care about things like this, just because it is well publicised.