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To: Jorj X Mckie who wrote (24545)	2/1/2003 11:40:52 AM
From: MulhollandDrive	Respond to of 57110

(debris over palestine, tx? eery) NASA: Shuttle Lost Over Texas All Seven Astronauts Believed to Be Dead ____Columbia Crew Roster____ Commander: Rick D. Husband Pilot: William C. McCool Payload Commander: Michael P. Anderson Mission Specialists: David M. Brown, Kalpana Chawla, Laurel Blair Salton Clark Payload Specialist: Ilan Ramon More Profile Information _____Challenger Tragedy_____ • Space Shuttle Explodes, Killing Crew; Fire Engulfs Ship With 7 Aboard Soon After Liftoff (The Washington Post, Jan 29, 1986) Saturday, February 1, 2003; 11:22 AM Space shuttle Columbia apparently broke apart in flames as it streaked over Texas toward its scheduled landing Saturday morning. All seven astronauts, six Americans and an Israeli are be_____On the Web_____ Combined Wire Reportslieved to be dead. NASA didn't immediately declare the crew dead; however, the U.S. flag next to its countdown clock was lowered to half-staff. Officials in Washington said that there was no immediate indication of terrorism, and that President Bush was informed and awaiting more information from NASA. NASA announced that search and rescue teams were being mobilized in Dallas and Fort Worth areas. Columbia was at an altitude of 200,700 feet over north-central Texas at a 9 a.m., traveling at 12,500 mph when mission control lost contact and tracking data. NASA warned that any debris found in the area should be avoided and could be hazardous. There were reports of debris seen falling. Residents of north Texas heard "a big bang" Saturday about the time the space shuttle Columbia disappeared on its way to a landing at Cape Canaveral. "It was like a car hitting the house or an explosion. It shook that much," said John Ferolito, 60, of Carrolton, north of Dallas. Gary Hunziker in Plano said he saw the shuttle flying overhead. "I could see two bright objects flying off each side of it," he told The Associated Press. "I just assumed they were chase jets." "I was getting read to go out and I heard a big bang and the windows shook in the house," Ferolito told The Associated Press. "I was getting ready to go out and I heard a big bang and the windows shook in the house. I thought it was a sonic boom." Bob Multer of Palestine, Texas, told CNN he saw what looked like a high-flying jet and heard a noise. "It would be very similar to a tornado, it was very loud and intense," Multer said. "It was loud enough and it was low enough that it shook the building." 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 liftoff. Security had been tight for the 16-day scientific research mission that included the first Israeli astronaut. The astronauts had conducted more than 80 experiments on behalf of NASA and the European, Japanese, German and Canadian space agencies, as well as numerous student and commercial investigations. The shuttle did not visit the International Space Station on this trip. Ilan Ramon, a colonel in Israel's air force and former fighter pilot, became the first man from his country to fly in space, and his presence resulted in an increase in security, not only for Columbia's Jan. 16 launch, but also for its landing. On launch day, a piece of insulating foam on the external fuel tank came off during liftoff and was believed to have struck the left wing of the shuttle. Leroy Cain, the lead flight director in Mission Control, had assured reporters Friday that engineers had concluded that any damage to the wing was considered minor and posed no safety hazard. Columbia is NASA's oldest shuttle and first flew in 1981.