totally missed national disaster

[Number27]

ok.. so i don't read the newspapers every day, but i generally see the headlines, hear news from other people, the internet, etc. but someone i managed to be completely ignorant of a major disaster in recent history. i am, of course, talking about the space shuttle columbia disaster on Feb. 1st 2003.

i had no idea we lost another shuttle after challenger.. none! if someone had walked up to me on the streets one day and offered me $$5000 to name how many space shuttles we'd lost in flight i would have said 1. how did i miss this? i was a senior in highschool.. not a little kid, certainly not stoned out of my mind every damn day either.

so strange...


i wonder how many other major catastrophies i've missed over the decade?

[Holy War]

ya, I dont know what to tell you mate

[Cannabass]

why weren't you blazing all senior year??

[RWP]

Really sad. That accident entirely changed how we deploy the shuttle these days. I guess you know a piece of foam from the hydrogen tank came off and punctured the leading edge of the wing.

[Mark Wilson]

Wow, really?
I had no idea either...

[MIJ-VI]

It was horrifying. Poor souls in that #%$^& thing...

[bassteban]

So many unimaginably bad things have happened in the past few years that I've become numb(not indifferent)to much of it. Haiti has taken awhile to sink in- not to say that I can really imagine or comprehend the suffering going on there. On the shuttle, I guess I sort of lumped the two tragedies together...

[Buslady7803]

That was a shocker, so sad. I remember where I was...we were out driving on the 8 towards Yuma, going for a drive and trainwatching when we heard it on the radio. We were shocked as all hell.

They're ending the program soon, all in all, it was successful but yeah...too many losses.

[DeluxeRed]

If that's the case, it's no wonder we lost a 2nd shuttle in another totally avoidable "accident".

NASA were my heros growing up. Now they're just mere mortals, just as screwed-up as the fast-food place down the road that doesn't know what "no cheese" means.

Kennedy said that if free men don't get to--and hold--the moon, we'll forever be under the tyranny of who does, our gateway to the stars closed. The Chinese understand that. Apparently, we no longer do.

[RWP]

Originally Posted by DeluxeRed

....NASA were my heros growing up. Now they're just mere mortals, just as screwed-up as the fast-food place down the road that doesn't know what "no cheese" means....

This statement is completely unfair. NASA has done incredible things with dwindling funding. If you consider the percentage of successes to failures, NASA has an stellar record considering the inherent danger involved with their mission. As for the moom, don't blame NASA, we would be partying there now if NASA had any say on the matter.

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Well, NASA isn't giving up really, they are just collaborating more with ESA these days. Which, IMO, is a wiser plan of action, spreads the costs and access to more great minds etc etc.

[nortonrider]

What's a Space Shuttle?

[rakirksey]

The other point with NASA now vs NASA in the era of Kennedy is that NASA now, with their limited budget, is trying to find an overall mission. Mars is really far out there and I think GW just said that to sound like he had a plan. Going to Mars on a miniscule budget is really a no go. And going to the moon again ... that is so 1960's. We went to the moon over 40 years ago. It was a great accomplishment and something for the US to rally over since Russia beat us initially to launch into space.

Last time I checked most folks aren't really that excited about the ISS and since the last accident and with an aging, expensive and not really reusable space shuttle Russia has pretty much taken charge and is charging a pretty penny for cargo.

These days the US in its entrepreneurial spirit is probably going to do more in with a combination of private sector and public sector collaboration with funding from super rich folks that want to spend 3 min. in space.

[MIJ-VI]

Originally Posted by nortonrider

What's a Space Shuttle?

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&so...=Google+Search

[DeluxeRed]

Originally Posted by RWP

This statement is completely unfair. NASA has done incredible things with dwindling funding. If you consider the percentage of successes to failures, NASA has an stellar record considering the inherent danger involved with their mission. As for the moom, don't blame NASA, we would be partying there now if NASA had any say on the matter.

I don't deny that NASA has had stellar accomplishments. It's just that their two biggest disasters weren't from the inherent risks associated with space flight, but the inherent failures of a management culture focused more on money and CYA than mission and risk.

And they should have done a better job selling that mission to Congress and the people. That was part of the job. Though don't doubt I hold Congress in contempt for their lack of vision, too.

[RWP]

Originally Posted by DeluxeRed

I don't deny that NASA has had stellar accomplishments. It's just that their two biggest disasters weren't from the inherent risks associated with space flight, but the inherent failures of a management culture focused more on money and CYA than mission and risk.

And they should have done a better job selling that mission to Congress and the people. That was part of the job. Though don't doubt I hold Congress in contempt for their lack of vision, too.

I will agree that attempts to be profitable caused NASA to make some really poor management decisions, and it took the loss of two shuttles for them to figure that out. Frankly in today's world of amazing robotic capability why put man in space at all? The way I see it we as a nation are far to risk adverse, besides the wow factor is gone.

[DeluxeRed]

Originally Posted by RWP

...besides the wow factor is gone.

If they (we) can't make space exploration exciting, then how can we expect them to lead us to the stars...?

I like looking up more than looking down.

[machine gewehr]

Psst,in case you missed this too.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9/11

Just kidding.


I love history channel for this,their catch phrase is "History Channel,in case you missed it the first time."


http://www.history.com/

[McHaven]

Columbia was big news in Texas when it happened. A lot of the wreckage fell over East Texas.

[Selta]

How did you guys miss this? It was on most major news channels for a few days and made headlines.