Any Nach. people have updates?

[X21AAAPlayer]

Any people have updates on the shuttle debris?

[Old Cardinal]

I received info from my brother-in-law in Nacogdoches, he said that some debri went through the roof of a Dentist office. Other pieces of metal are being found within the loop. Body parts found toward San Augustine area.

<small>[ February 01, 2003, 02:48 PM: Message edited by: Old Cardinal ]</small>

[TarponFanInNorthTexas]

There is some debris as far north and west as Arlington. It wouldn't surprise me if there are some more bits and pieces in Dallas proper and surrounding suburbs.

I have nothing to do right now, there is a big soccer field, and open grassfield nearby, I may take a walk around there and see if I can find anything.

[X21AAAPlayer]

I talked with someone up there and they said that there are debris everywhere. Has it been confirmed yet that the body parts were from the shuttle?

[crzyjournalist03]

I heard that there was some debris in Jasper too...anybody know about that?

[TarponFanInNorthTexas]

sorry about the double posting, my mistake. frown

<small>[ February 01, 2003, 07:49 PM: Message edited by: TarponFanInNorthTexas ]</small>

[TarponFanInNorthTexas]

I haven't heard anything about body parts, but there has been more debris found in Plano, and some within a 1/2 mile of where I live.

One would think though, an explosion as hot as it was, that there would be ANY body parts. I figure all 7 abord would have (mean no disrespect here) been instantly cremated.

[Old Cardinal]

To Tarpon: I would tend to agree, but there are rumors all around the Nacogdoches area that a chared distinguishable arm had been found east of town toward San Augustine. Rumors tend to run wild, in a situation like that. My sister said for about 8 or 9 seconds it sounded like a Huey helicopter was about to land on top of her house, up there!

[twinkle]

This thread hasn't been picked up since last night, but just going to update you on things happening in Hemphill. I am sorry if this seems gruesome, but just stating it like it currently is happening. It appears that many body parts have been found here, close to the courthouse. Hwy 83 currently is closed to all traffic and there are about 4 school buses parked down that road that brought people in and looks like they are scouring this area pretty heavily--this is the area where a torso, skull and leg were found yesterday. I have heard that legs and arms have been found in about 5 different locations. I know that rumors tend to fly in times like these, but I do have reliable sources, and you have to remember Hemphill is a town with a population of 1100--everyone knows everyone.

Did anyone hear the explosion? I am just curious as to how far the sound carried. My house literally shook, and the sound was like a huge thunderbolt that rolled on for about 30-45 seconds with sound similiar to someone revving the engine of a souped up engine. I guess what I am asking is, did people in Dallas, Houston hear it?

[slpybear the bullfan]

Twinkle,

Yes, the sound was heard up here in Wise County, NW of Fort Worth. We all heard it in places like Bridgeport, Decatur, ALvord and the like.

I noticed several folks with questions regarding the debris. Please go to the following link for some info. I don't know how long it will stay current, you can also check out foxnews.com.

http://www.msnbc.com/news/867314.asp?0si=-
Also, many folks were talking about the explosion. A better way to think of this accident would be to think about the shuttle disintegrating in reentry, not blowing up like a bomb. Think of it this way...

The shuttle was travelling at roughly 12,500 mph about 200,000 feet miles up. (5 miles per second, 40 miles up). Its underside was about 3000°F. What slows the shuttle down is the friction of the air as it falls into the atmosphere. If one little part of the skin begins to fail, it can have a "zipper" effect, or "domino" effect. It begins weaking the next structure, and so on, etc. Once it starts coming apart, the tremendous forces involved in reentry will finish it. There wasn't a large amount of fuel in it for an explosion, it just broke apart and disintegrated.

Most of the news reports now are focusing on sensors that showed increases in temperature and then began failing. These sensors were in the left wing. Flight data shows Columbia was trying to correct its flight path by some severe banking. The early prevailing theory is there was some heat tile failures in the left wing that led to structural failure of the wing then shuttle. These are all preliminary and the actual causes may never be found. We will have to be patient and wait.

Guys, studying manned space flight has been a passion of mine for as long as I could read. One of the best reference links about space on the web is at...

http://www.astronautix.com/

I am just an amateur, but I am very passionate about manned space flight. This was a very, very sad event for me as well as the rest of the country. My prayers are with the families.

Pardon the long post, but I will leave you with a favorite poem of mine is called High Flight, written by a pilot named John Gillespie Magee, Jr. I think it says it all about moments like these...

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 halls of air. . . .

Up, up the long, delirious burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or ever eagle flew ---
And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untresspassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

God Speed STS-107.

<small>[ February 02, 2003, 10:06 PM: Message edited by: slpybear the bullfan ]</small>

[marlin fan]

crzyjournalist03:
I heard that there was some debris in Jasper too...anybody know about that?Yes it's true they found debris in jasper

[Jimbotex40]

i was driving down to college station to watch the fightin aggies beat tech and on 45 in rice, texas, they had a whole bunch of media and stuff there along the highway kinda close to their tiny fball stadium

[TarponFanInNorthTexas]

The reason why all the news media were there at the high school in Rice was because a few pieces of debris from the shuttle had landed on the high school grounds, and one piece ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD.

[Jason1725]

After having seen some of this stuff myself I can say, yes there were body parts found. As far as stuff being found in Jasper that rumor is not true. Everything landed North of us in Hemphill, Nac, and San Augustine.

[crzyjournalist03]

Well, you can add Forney to the list of places containing debris. A girl in my Spanish class lives in the north side of town where a bunch of farms are. Her neighbor's farm caught fire due to a piece of debris landing in it.

[Rabbit'93]

Get outta here!!!!!!!

[2001GiddingsLB]

I go to school at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches and there was quite a bit of debris in the area. One guy I know knows the people who found a human leg in Hemphill. Today there was still debris on the ground, and one piece was behind the Forestry Building in a parking lot and others were on the sides of roads and such. They are all cordoned off with caution tape and cops patrol them.