Columbia Lost.

[Nick]

I didn`t know this until I read the front of a newspaper. I was and still am shocked. I saw Columbia land on STS78 on my birthday (07/07) in 96. I seem to remember I have something in a book which has a list of predictions for shuttle accidents. I`m sure there was something about reentry accidents.

I haven`t the time to do much research into this at the moment. Does anybody know what STS (mission) number this was?

I wonder if they will put a tiny sensor on each tile like a web of nerves all over the craft. All this would be linked to the avionics so the crew weren`t in the dark on reentry. They would know if they were in trouble or not. It would be very complicated, but thats one way of knowing surely.

[Nick]

Did anybody here see Challenger live on TV? I did and it wasn`t nice. Though I was very young so can`t remember it 100%. Thats probably the best way!

[Nick]

I know of the practicalities, but something has to be done. They can`t go on using the current method really.

Though if they had a small drone fitted with a camere and using a remote link to the shuttle, they could manually inspect the exterior. It does look likely it was the insulation hitting the leading edge of the left wing though.

Only STS 107? I`d have thought they`d done much more than that, by now. That means they`ve only done 29 missions in 7 years. Thats not many especially when they are making the ISS.

If you want a book on the shuttle get the one written by some guy Jenkins. I haven`t got the most uptodate edition yet, as it only covers missions upto STS 75. Though it does cover the development and specifications of the shuttle so well. This will just create another section in the next edition like the Challenger section.

I had a plastic model of Challenger at the time of the accident. I wish I still had it.

[Nick]

I just heard that it could have been a meteorite, but then that was going to be brought up eventually as a theory at least.