Space shuttle

[Angela Z.]

I got up this am and turned on the TV to see the shuttle come home.......wanted to see how long between the sonic booms we hear here in Orlando and when it lands......shuttle hasn't been heard from since 9am.....should've landed at 9:15.....now the talking heads are speculating on wing damage.......please pray for them all.
Angela Z.

[tr cruiser]

CNN reports the shuttle was travelling at 12K mph at 200K ft when the breakup occurred over southern Texas. The spacecraft Columbia was just completing her 28th mission and 15 minutes away from touchdown. A terrible tragedy and loss for the families of those on board...

I'm watching too....how horrible! Its amazing how lives can be changed in the matter of minutes.

God bless their friends and families.

Kimb

Prayers to all...and hope..we have to keep hoping..I had to leave the tv room as I couldn't stand all the speculation. The news channels should just shut up unless they know. They speculate and make it so much worse.

[rayb]

Horrible event. I have been watching from the beginning of the descent of the Shuttle and wondered what happened. Pray for the crew. This type of event is one which we wish would never happen, but this is a very dangerous mission. Having been associated with the Cape since 1962 we never wish this to happen.

Ray

[MaryLou]

It is very sad, indeed! My prayers are with all involved.

[Kuki]

Another terrible tragedy!!! Our prayers go out to the souls lost, and their families.

Regards,
Kuki

[Carole and Johnny]

What a horrible tradegy once again. Our prayers are with the family.

[Thomas]

I'm anxious to hear the results of the investigation into the disaster. If it again reveals NASA was pressured to launch without complete confidence in all systems it would be another useless loss of life.

Regards,
Thomas

OH NO!! Not again! First Challenger, now Columbia.

[Phyllbo]

Just checking in on the boards and I read the news from you. I hadn't turned on the tv or radio yet today.

This is so tragic. My prayers go out to the families.

Phyll

[Seahunks]

I am somewhat concerned, also, because when the Challenger was lost NASA was able to ground all orbiters pending inspection and investigation. That is no longer an option. ISS requires live crews for most supply shipments and crew transfers. The reliability of Russian automatic dockcraft is still significantly less than that of our shuttles. Again thoughts and prayers to the families. God bless and comfort all.

Steve

[Tweety]

What a horrible occurance. It is indeed a sad day for all. Our prayers go out to the families of all onboard. God Bless!

[Cher]

My heart and prayers go out to all the families who have lost a loved one, to those in Houston, who are so involved from start to finish, and to our nation for another day of grieving the loss of another shuttle crew.
Cher

[Seahunks]

I hope this works. Here is a picture I took on March 4, 1994. It was the second launch of Columbia I watched. It was taken on Daytona Beach at 8:54 AM.

I captioned the photo with the following verse.

STS-62
There they go again,
Pioneers, barely shod,
Wading into the shallows of the cosmos.

Many of their descendants will dive deeply
From these same shores
Without the barest inklings as to their names.

On the anniversary of the Challenger explosion, I heard a commentator say that no one pays attention to launches anymore. They had become so routine again, in the seventeen years since the event. Today, we've been reminded that our wings are still wet.

Steve

Post Edited (02-01-03 12:34)

An absolutely terrible tragedy! My thoughts and prayers with the families and all the people involved at NASA.

Susie

[Auguste]

I am just sick about this. Nothing we can do but grief and pray for the Fam. Auguste

[Sid1962]

In the same vein as the message from Steve above, allow me to share with everyone the following sonnet written by John Gillespie Magee, a pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force in the Second World War. It was quoted in part by then President Reagan when the Challenger was lost 17 years ago:

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds,--and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless falls of air...
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, nor eer eagle flew--
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high, untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.



Nothing else need be said....

Sid1962

[Seahunks]

That's exactly what President Reagan quoted in his post Challenger address. And wholely appropriate. Thank you for that text.

I apologize, Sid, you did mention Reagan in your post. I didn't read it all the way through on the first reading, my eyes diverted to the poem.

Post Edited (02-01-03 13:54)

[sue]

My prayers go out to those left behind.....very sad indeed....

[rollerdonna]

Oh NO! not another tragedy! I don't believe this! Condolences to all Americans and especially those who lost family and friends onboard. Concerned Canadian.

What a terrible tragedy!

May God be with the families.

TomS

[mbuckellew]

So terrible. We all feel it because those were our astronauts.

Praying for the peaceful repose of their souls and comfort for their families and friends.

Cheers,
Michelle B.