| 01 February 2003 at 23.23.57 ZuluTime
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Posted by Gremlin [12.211.200.127 - 12-211-200-127.client.attbi.com] on 01 February 2003 at 23.23.57 ZuluTime:
In Reply to: Fucking arabs did NOT bring down the shuttle. posted by Ford Prefect on 01 February 2003 at 22.17.32 ZuluTime:
I haven't quite decided what the cause likely was. It's more likely that the thing bounced wrong at the upper atmosphere and ruptured; the percentage of heat tiles it would have to lose before this could happen is significant.
Whatever it was, it wasn't terrorists. The tone of the final transmission suggests that they knew something was happening, but they weren't panicking about it; that rules out both bombs inside and attacks from outside.
It also couldn't really be called pilot error--even if the approach vector was off enough to bellyflop the thing to death. Those shuttles are harder to manouevre than a Buick.
Okay: as of five seconds ago, the word is that the wing seems to have snapped off just inside the atmosphere. That would explain things pretty well.
My larger concern is whether they're really planning to pull another two-year shutdown--especially when there are people on the station up there expecting a lift home before June.
--Gremiln