Space Shuttle Tragedy

[george]

I have just heard the sad news and am a loss as to what to say. my heart goes ot to the crew's families.
George.

[sandbox]

It’s a sad day......  

Hopefully the toxicity of what has fallen is not the on going story.

[Gary S]

Sad    but inevitable. It was one too many trips for Columbia.

I hope the toxic stuff falling down doesn't cause an onging problem also.

[kelly]

Yes. Very sad.  

This was the first notice I had about it Had the TV on the sports channel.

One of those, remember where you were, events.

[RobW]

Just a terrible tragedy. There aren't any other words I can think of to express it . As Kelly said, one of those moments where you remember where you were when you heard. (I was in my car and had just put on the "all news station" and knew immediately that there was something horrible that had happened.)
 
 [ 02-01-2003, 08:21 PM: Message edited by: RobW ]

[pendragon]

In 1986 I was the Director, Performance Assurance for the payload (the TDRSS satellite) when the Challenger tragedy occurred. Over the years I have worked with several astronauts and met some of their loved ones.

The sadness lingers.

Harv
 
 [ 02-01-2003, 06:50 PM: Message edited by: pendragon ]

[george]

Harv,
You must feel the sorrow even more deeply,
George

[dolphin]

Such a tragic day.  My prayers go out to the families of these brave men and women.

Roy
 
 [ 02-01-2003, 04:31 PM: Message edited by: dolphin ]

[CyberPet]

A tragedy for sure.  

I just hope they didn't suffer much before they died, that's what is the most scary part to me, what horror it might have been. So close to home and yet so far away.

My thoughts goes to their family and friends.

/Petra

[beacher]

I was only up for about 5 minutes this morning, 8:05 when I turned on the radio, and was immediately hit with the news.  Posted a quick note to a friend who worked for NASA for years, retired and is now a consultant to (for?) them. . .I can hardly imagine,  Harv, how you guys must feel.  You're in my thoughts an prayers, are all concerned. . .

[WDL]

My sympathy goes to the families and to the workers at the space centre.

As sad as this is - we should remember that throughout history "explorers" have faced danger and paid the ultimate price. To those who dare goes the glory, but also sometimes the sacrifice and sadness.

In the past expeditions disappeared and it could be months or years before their fate was known (if ever.) Now it's "immediate, in-your-face."

Thank God there are people who have the courage to do these things. Not one of the astronauts would have traded places with any one of us.

WDL

[Epaminondas]

Most regretable.

Most regretable.
___________________________________________________

How much have we learned?

As I recollect, and my recollection is likely imperfect, the investigation of the earlier Challenger tragedy revealed calculations of catastrophic mission loss as low as 1/100,000 as calculated prior to the Challenger accident.

My recollection is that these estimates were recalculated to something closer to 1 in 25 following the Challenger accident.  

The high risk of catastrophic failure in regards to shuttle missions was emphasized, and civilian use (i.e. schoolteachers) was to be discouraged in regard to future flights.

Yet, I believe I recently saw some newspaper report where they are once again looking for schoolteacher volunteers.

I shook my head at the thought.

They obviously weren't looking for teachers of history.

I believe that there have been a total of around 112 shuttle missions. If that is true, it looks like the odds of a lost mission are proving to be closer to one in 56 than one in 25. A 2% chance of catastrophe with each flight.  Not so bad, maybe.

Think how that would play in the airline industry.

If one has a 2% chance of dying every time one goes up in a shuttle - well - I can see trying it once.  Maybe. Maybe not.  That odds aren't too bad - and that is one heck of a ride.

But making a career out of it, well . . .

There's only so long you can beat the house.

Those with a strong sense of self-preservation will opt out, thank you.

Those who do not have a strong sense of self-preservation will self select for such a career. And will glorify in their particular world view. And will be called heroes.

All on the taxpayers tab.

Me?

I just don't know.

I do know that it's a sad day all around.

Epaminondas

______________________________________________

I wonder sometimes if things would be different if the chief NASA administrator went up with every flight that he signs off on?

There are seven seats on the shuttle - how about five astronauts, the chief NASA administator, and the chief project engineer going up on each flight?  I bet the missions that fly would be a whole lot safer all around.  

If any missions ever flew at all.
 

Richard P. Feynman

Michael J. Smith's famous "Uhoh"

TRANSCRIPT OF THE CHALLENGER CREW COMMENTS FROM THE OPERATIONAL RECORDER
 
 [ 02-02-2003, 12:04 AM: Message edited by: Epaminondas ]

[Thomas S. England]

it looks like the odds of a lost mission are proving to be closer to one in 56 than one in 25. A 2% chance of catastrophe with each flight. Not so bad, maybe.

Or suppose you use a fequently applied method of creating a statistic for travel, namely, the number of fatalities per miles traveled.

Considering the number or miles traveled while orbiting, I would suspect that this approach would suugest that Shuttle travel is safer than driving to your corner store.

[sandbox]

Calculated against the benefits of travel through the years, would anyone say nay?

Would we tell Hannibal the wows about the road less traveled, or suggest that Columbus play in his bathtub, for the risks are great and the world is flat?

We will delve into the bowels of the earth and sea, and yes, reach for the stars. Life is risk, there is always the chance that the next breath will never come, but breath we do.

Understanding this, we honor those who take extraordinary risk.

My hat is off.

Just breath........ .......

[jepinto]

Sent by a friend

http://www.dobhran.com/greetings/GRcolumbia.htm