Fear for the fate of the space shuttle "Columbia" which was expected to land at the Kennedy Space Center at 16:16, after 16 days in space. Contact with her was lost at 16:00 p.m. NASA has declared an emergency
The original news as published on the Hidaan website on February 1.2.2003, XNUMX
By: Avi Blizovsky
A photograph of a radar screen at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Louisiana, hours after the Columbia Space Shuttle crash over Texas. In the photo (in the lower part in red and yellow) you can see the simulation of the heat signature left by the parts of the space shuttle when they fell to Earth.
Crews from Dallas, Texas set out to locate the crash site
Drama in the sky: Contact was lost with the space shuttle "Columbia", which left the atmosphere 16 days ago, with the first astronaut, Ilan Ramon, on board. The final approval for the ferry's departure from the route was received at 15:08 (Saturday), and the landing time was set for 16:16, however, the landing is delayed due to a communication problem with the ferry. Contact with the ferry was lost at 16:00 p.m.
A NASA spokesperson told CNN that the ground crew is having a problem receiving data from the shuttle. "We hope for the best but prepare for the worst," he said. The shuttle was last seen over Texas, with some smoke trails coming out of it and the fear is that it is debris.
It is believed that the shuttle entered the atmosphere at too high a speed and the computer was unable to slow it down. The shuttle reached the earth at a speed 6 times higher than allowed. It should be noted that there has never been a malfunction in the landing of a NASA shuttle in all its years of existence. At Cape Canaveral in Florida, the landing site, a state of emergency was declared.
The connection with the "Columbia" ferry was cut off; Fear for the lives of the astronautsAn emergency was declared at NASA; It is not clear what happened to the shuttle and the astronauts; The first Israeli astronaut, Ilan Ramon, and his six companions were supposed to land at 16:16 p.m.
Saturday, February 1, 2003, 16:18 p.m
Contact with the landing of the shuttle "Columbia", with the first Israeli astronaut on board, Ilan Ramon, was lost in the afternoon. An emergency was declared at NASA. It is not yet known what happened to the shuttle and the astronauts. Television footage shows smoke trails over the Texas sky.
Ramon and his six crew members of the American space shuttle "Columbia" were expected to land at 16:16 (Israel time). Channel 2 reported that the families waiting for the landing left the special stand in Cape Canaveral, Florida. NASA will hold a press conference in the next few minutes.
Natan Gutman and the "Haaretz" service add: "The Voice of Israel reported that NASA is preparing under heavy security for the landing of the space shuttle. Spokesmen for the US Air Force and the US Space Agency said that security was increased due to Ramon's participation in the shuttle crew. The forecasters expect favorable weather for the landing.
The space agency announced that Ramon and his teammates successfully completed all 80 experiments they planned to perform in space. One of the astronauts, Michael Anderson, told the control center at the space agency tonight that the return home is accompanied by mixed emotions, but he and his friends treasure experiences from the journey inside them, which are enough to last a lifetime."
22:15 NASA: The "Columbia" crew perished
Space Agency Director: There are no survivors from the shuttle crew; A quarter of an hour before landing, the Columbia disintegrated in the air; Bush in a speech to the nation: our journey into space will continue; In a conversation with Sharon, he expressed his condolences on Ramon's death
Saturday, February 1, 2003, 20:25 p.m
The mission of the space shuttle "Columbia" and its seven crew members ended in disaster today when a quarter of an hour before landing (16:00 p.m. Israel time) the spacecraft burst into flames and disintegrated. In the evening, the American space agency NASA announced that all the crew members, including the first Israeli astronaut, Ilan Ramon, had perished. US President George Bush gave a special speech to the nation this evening following the event and said: "Today we received terrible news and great sadness in our country. Colombia is lost and there are no survivors."
Bush addressed the families and added, "Our entire nation mourns with you and we express to you the love of the entire nation. Because they died we live. The Creator of the world knows their names, and he will bless their souls, the families and America." He also promised: "Our journey in space will continue".
Earlier this evening, Bush spoke with the Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, and conveyed his condolences on the death of Ilan Ramon in the explosion of the space shuttle "Columbia". Bush told Sharon that this is a tragic day for the astronauts' families and for science. Sharon also conveyed his condolences on the death of the ferry crew. "We hold hands together and pray," said Sharon. The IDF spokesman officially announced this evening the death of Air Force pilot, Col. Ilan Ramon.
NASA Director Sean O'Keefe said at a special press conference this evening that the agency has begun efforts to locate the remains of the Columbia space shuttle crew. According to him, it does not appear that there are any survivors from the explosion. O'Keefe announced at the press conference that two investigative committees will be established to examine the circumstances of the case: internal and external. He said that NASA will conduct a comprehensive internal review. An external committee will also be established, headed by a person who is detached from the federal government. The external committee staff will include people from the US Air Force, Navy and Department of Transportation.
"We heard a loud noise and the dogs started barking"
In television footage, smoke trails were seen in the sky of the area of the city of Palestine in Texas, above which the explosion occurred. NASA rescue teams went to the area where fragments of the shuttle fell. Residents in the area were warned not to touch the fragments, fearing they are dangerous to touch. The shuttle crew will practice abandoning in the event of an emergency, but the initial assessment was that their chances of survival were extremely slim.
A resident of Texas who was an eyewitness to the ferry explosion told CNN: "We heard a loud noise, the dogs started barking and the horses in the stable went wild. We later heard that debris fell in all the districts in the region." Liat and Avi Turkey, Israelis living in Texas witnessed the explosion of the space shuttle "Columbia". Liat told Walla! News that friends who live next door woke them up this morning and told them they heard the explosion. They went outside and noticed the smoke trails. According to them, the pieces of the ferry fell in the Richardson area, not far from where they live. "Just last week we were in Israel and we were looking for a quiet place and then all of a sudden this happens," said Liat.
"Until the last moment, we hoped it would go smoothly"
Ramon and his six crew members of the American space shuttle "Columbia" were expected to land at 16:16 (Israel time). After it became clear that contact with the ferry was lost, the families waiting to land left the special stand in Cape Canberal.
Gadi, Ilan Ramon's brother, told Channel 10 News that the family is in shock and still doesn't know what to do. According to him, there was always a concern about a malfunction in the mission, but "because the whole mission went perfectly, then there was great hope that the landing would also be like everything else." The Air Force will fly Ilan Ramon's family members to the USA.
The office of the Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, issued a statement following the ferry explosion. The language of the message: "The State of Israel and its citizens hope at this difficult time and stand by the families of the pilots, the Ramon family in Israel, the American people and its government, praying to the Creator of the world that the astronauts will return home safely." Sharon spoke this evening with the father of the Israeli astronaut, Ilan Ramon, and told him that he shares his grief. The father, Eliezer Wolferman, told the Prime Minister that "we didn't expect this, until the last moment we hoped it would go smoothly, and that's it, now we don't have Ilan, a big disaster happened to us." The President of the State, Moshe Katsav, and the Commander of the Air Force, Dan Halutz, also spoke with Ramon's father this evening.
This is the first time in NASA history that a space shuttle exploded upon landing. The only previous shuttle explosion, of the Challenger, occurred shortly after launch in 1986. Sources in the space agency rejected the estimates in the media, as if the disintegration was caused by a sabotage operation.
Iraq: The explosion of the "Columbia" - God's revenge
Saturday, February 1, 2003, 21:49 p.m
In Baghdad today they reacted with joy to Eid about the explosion of the American space shuttle "Columbia" and said that this is God's revenge on America. "We are happy that it happened," said Abdul Jaber al-Kharizi, an Iraqi government official. "God takes revenge for us" he added.
People in the Iraqi street were particularly happy that among the dead astronauts was the Israeli Ilan Ramon, who in 1981 participated in the attack on the Iraqi reactor, being a fighter pilot in the Air Force. "Israel attacked us in 1981 and destroyed our nuclear reactor for no reason, now the wheel has turned and God is repaying them," said Muhammad Jaber al-Tamini, a car mechanic from Baghdad.
The shuttle Columbia exploded; The team, including Ilan Ramon, perished
By Natan Gutman, Haaretz News and Walla
7 members of the shuttle crew were killed in the explosion, which happened a few minutes before landing; NASA: There is no end to the investigation
The remains of the shuttle above the skies of Texas, yesterday. About a quarter of an hour before landing, upon entering the atmosphere, he lost contact with the shuttle
Summary from February 2, 2003
The American space shuttle "Columbia", which was supposed to land yesterday afternoon (Israel time) in Florida, exploded shortly before the planned landing date. The seven crew members - including Lt. Col. Ilan Ramon, the first Israeli astronaut, perished. Ramon, 48 years old, married and father of four, was a fighter pilot in the Air Force before being selected for a mission in space.
The shuttle, which took off on January 16 from Florida for a 16-day mission, was supposed to land yesterday at 16:16 p.m. Israel time (9:16 a.m. EST). However, a little more than a quarter of an hour before the planned landing time, some of the routine transmitters transmitted from the shuttle began to disappear and various malfunctions were recorded in the measurement systems. At 16:00, shortly after it entered the atmosphere and when it was at an altitude of about 60 meters and moving at a speed of about 20 km/h, contact with the shuttle was lost. When it became clear that the shuttle was not moving along the route planned for landing, the American Space Agency (NASA) declared a state of emergency.
In those minutes, various reports came from Texas about an explosion that was heard in the sky of the state, and several fireballs were seen in the sky followed by long smoke trails. following resident reports
Regarding pieces of metal that were scattered in the area, NASA asked the public to avoid contact with these parts, fearing that they contain dangerous substances, and military forces closed the areas where the pieces of the shuttle fell to the public. There are no known casualties from the falling debris of the ferry. Throughout the event, the astronauts' families, who were waiting at the space center in Florida, were kept informed of what was happening.
About four hours later, NASA officially announced that the shuttle was lost and the crew members on board perished. The space agency also announced the establishment of an internal inspection team and an external team to investigate the circumstances of the accident, and its scientists claimed that at this stage there is no clue that could explain the incident. The investigators will look into the possibility that a malfunction that arose during the launch - a detachment of part of the insulation sheath that damaged the shuttle's wing and the insulation tiles covering it - is what led to the explosion. Experts estimate that the factor that ultimately led to the breakup of the shuttle occurred at a significant point at the end of each mission in space - the shuttle's return to the atmosphere. Officials in the American administration ruled out the possibility that the explosion was caused by a terrorist incident.
US President George Bush contacted the astronauts' families, and promised that the administration would investigate the circumstances of the accident. In a special message to the nation, Bush said: "The creator of the world, who created the stars, knows even now the names of the seven souls we lost today." The president promised that the US will continue the space missions - but will not forget the astronauts who perished. Bush also called the Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, to convey the condolences of the American people on the death of Col. Ramon.
A delegation of the Israeli embassy in the US, including Ambassador Danny Ayalon, accompanied the members of the Ramon family staying in the US after the news of the disaster became known. Last night the security system arranged the travel of Ramon's relatives from Israel to the USA. The family members were supposed to leave on an El Al flight from Tbilisi to the USA early in the morning.
"Please repeat the last transmission," asked NASA; On the other side noises were heard and then there was silence"
2.2.2003
By: Natan Gutman, reporter for "Haaretz" in the USA, courtesy of Walla News
The moment of the explosion and the split trails of white smoke, seen immediately after the explosion. "This is a tragic day for NASA," said the agency's director, Sean O'Keefe
"This is a tragic day for NASA," the director of the agency, Sean O'Keefe, opened his message to the American public, a few hours after the crash of the shuttle "Columbia" over the skies of Texas. The investigation into the circumstances of the event has only just begun and it is too early to know what was the factor that led to the disaster, but from the information gathered by NASA personnel, it is already possible to reconstruct the last moments of the shuttle, from entering the atmosphere until the crash.
* 15:53 (according to Israel time, 8:53 Eastern Time). The first evidence of a possible malfunction is revealed. In the temperature measurement system in the left hydraulic system, measurements below the range are recorded, indicating that this measurement system has failed. This evidence did not worry the NASA people because all other measurements and performances showed that the shuttle was functioning normally.
* 15:56 The measurement is also lost in the left landing pad
* 15:58 Immediately afterwards, it is also lost in the temperature gauges installed on the left side of the shuttle body.
* 15:59 A malfunction is recorded in the temperature and pressure measurement systems at eight different points on the left side of the shuttle. Ron Ditmore, director of NASA's space shuttle programs, said yesterday that the loss of measurements does not necessarily indicate a real problem and sometimes it only indicates a minor malfunction in the measurement mechanism itself.
But this malfunction has already led to an indication on the control display of the astronauts themselves. Until this stage, the team members did not know that there was a problem with the measurement systems on the left side, but now they received an indication indicating this. The crew members informed the ground that they had received the warning and that they were proceeding with the landing as planned, as the shuttle was functioning well. In the last moments of communication with the shuttle, the contacts on the ground in Houston are seen saying into the microphone: "We did not hear the last transmission, please repeat it." From the other side static noises were heard for about a minute. Then there was silence.
* 16:16-16:00 In the first moment, the loss of contact did not cause panic among the ground crew. NASA experts know that when entering the atmosphere, it often happens that the wireless connection with the shuttle is disconnected for a few seconds, but it is always renewed before landing. However, it soon became clear to Houston that there was a significant problem. The shuttle was at a height of 60,000 meters above the ground and was moving at a speed of about 20,116 km/h. It was supposed to land at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 16:16 p.m. But as the landing time approached, said Bill Reedy, NASA's assistant mission manager, it became clear that communication with the shuttle had not yet been renewed and that it was not moving towards the landing track. "Our control team started to realize, at this point, that we were having a bad day," Ditmore said.
NASA's control center, as well as the other NASA space bases, went into emergency mode and began operating according to predetermined procedures. Also, all documents and broadcasts of the mission were confiscated, to allow an investigation after the fact.
At the same time, reports began to arrive to local law enforcement authorities in the Texas area about a large explosion heard in the sky and pieces of metal scattered in the area. All signs pointed to disaster. The journalists and relatives who were waiting for the ferry in Cape Canaveral in Florida were asked to evacuate the place. At the same time, NASA broadcast a call to the public to avoid any contact with fragments from the shuttle, because they may contain dangerous substances.
The relatives who were waiting in Florida were given a full report on what happened and within a few minutes it was already explained to them that the chance of finding survivors was zero. "They told us that we need to find out what happened, fix it and move on, so that their sacrifice will not be in vain," said NASA Director Sean O'Keefe, about his conversation with the families. He defined their response as "restrained".
On the ground, in the Texas and Louisiana area, reports multiplied of pieces of debris and parts of corpses scattered over a large radius. The local police forces, reinforced by military forces from the nearby Fort Hood base, began scanning the ground and collecting the fragments, while closing the areas where parts were scattered to the general public.
Only four hours later, NASA decided to officially inform the public that the shuttle was lost and that its crew members had perished. The director of the space agency, Sean O'Keefe, said that this is a reminder that this is a very dangerous operation and that the astronauts took a personal risk, in order to advance science for the benefit of the human race. "It started as a happy and cheerful morning," said O'Keefe, who was waiting with the families and friends for the return of the ferry. "We couldn't wait any longer for their return to congratulate them on their excellent performance."
The shuttle members started the morning with the traditional wake-up call from the base in Houston. The ground personnel called about astronaut Laurel Clark and asked her to wake up her "Red Team" members for the landing. "We are very excited for the big day," Clark told Houston. Yesterday, NASA released the last video made by crew members on the spacecraft. In the film, which is accompanied by the narration of Commander Rick Husband, the astronauts are seen performing the final experiments and closing the test stations before their return to Earth. The Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon is photographed as he emerges in a kind of flight from the experiment area to the central part of the shuttle.
"And here is Ilan in his Superman pose," says Commander Hasband in the narration. Then Ramon is photographed eating cereal, which flew out of the bag one by one. Ramon, smiling for the camera, captured them in the air, in one last game of zero gravity before returning to Earth.
Before being sent into space, the Israeli astronaut clerk Ilan Ramon wrote letters to all his family members - to his wife Rona and his four children. According to the tradition at NASA, the letters were delivered to the family members immediately after the launch, by former astronauts who were already on missions in space. "We couldn't have hoped to know a braver group of people," Sean O'Keefe said after the crash, and President Bush added: "They had a lofty purpose in life. Thanks to their courage and idealism, we will miss them even more."
One response
Great article, well done