Space Shuttle Columbia lost!

[Achilles Tang]

The space shuttle Columbia just broke up over Texas upon reentry. All believed dead.

What a way to enter the Year of the Goat for the Americans...

Wonder if they are gonna blame that on Iraq and start the war.... or start it just to distract the public's attention or as an excuse to vent their emotions.

[Achilles Tang]

Shuttle Columbia was 22 years old.

[sduu]

Latest from CNA Columbia shuttle debries found in Texas.

[Creetin]

Indeed this is sad.... looks like the wave of disasters nvr end...

[KingFish]

Wonder if they are gonna blame that on Iraq and start the war.... or start it just to distract the public's attention or as an excuse to vent their emotions. 

Some news channel have already reported that no anti-aircraft fire or missiles were detected in Columbia's trajectory.

There don't seem to be any indication of the US using that to stir up emotions in the builup to *ahem.. may I say... TOTALLY UNECESSARY WAR...

IMHO, its probably an accident, human or mechanical, it may be due to an improper entry into the upper stratosphere which caused structural damage to its hull ... as AT mentioned, it is pretty old.

[Creetin]

just curious, but given that the shuttle was so high up, issit possible to shoot it down using AA artilery/SAM?

[Tanzy]

Impossible. The shuttle broke up higher than 200,000 feet up. No known SAM can reach that altitude.