JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, Houston, Texas (CNN) -- The space shuttle Columbia, with seven astronauts aboard, broke up as it descended over central Texas Saturday toward a planned landing at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Residents as far east as Shreveport, Louisiana, reported seeing and feeling an apparent explosion.
Search-and-rescue teams from the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, area were alerted and area residents were urged to stay away from any possible debris from the shuttle, which may be hazardous, said NASA public affairs officer James Hartfield.
HOUSTON, Texas (CNN) -- Human remains found in a field in Texas late Saturday are believed to be those of at least one of the seven astronauts who perished aboard space shuttle Columbia when it disintegrated nearly 40 miles above the Earth.
Along with the remains, a charred NASA patch and a flight helmet were found on a rural road in Hemphill, east of Nacogdoches, Texas, according to The Associated Press. (Full story)
FBI agents in Texas are helping local authorities recover shuttle debris, FBI Dallas field office spokeswoman Lori Bailey told CNN.
Originally posted by Zplus
If it was a damaged left wing as some speculated, won't it be prudent to dock at the 1/2 completed International Space Station and wait out for another ride home, or till the repairs are made?
Originally posted by rueyloon
I read from the website, the columbia is the only space shuttle that cannot dock.. as it wasn't retrofitted for such a task
Originally posted by Red Dawn
Hi
some insensitive guy was selling to auction off a piece of the Space Shuttle Columbia debris on eBay under item no 2909722097
eBay has since removed it already though.....................
Originally posted by Knighthunter
US President already declared state of emergency for few states in USA. Anyone keeping the debri(s) from Colombia can be charge with federal offence (Source: CNN). If Ebay track that seller and report the ID to FBI the auctioner will be a dead meat!
From CNN I also heard that there was a sharpnel hitting the left (or right?) during launching.......but the project manager declared as nothing significant and resume the mission.