US Space Shuttle Colombia Crashed Before Landing

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US Space Shuttle Colombia Crashed Before Landing

US space shuttle Columbia, with seven astronauts on board, apparently broke up shortly before its scheduled landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Saturday.

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US Space Shuttle Colombia Crashed Before Landing

US space shuttle Columbia, with seven astronauts on board, apparently broke up shortly before its scheduled landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Saturday.

Live television images showed that the orbiter first broke intotwo white trails and then into four to six multiple trails, an obvious indication of the breakup of the orbiter because only single trail should be visible in a normal situation.

The shuttle, which is on a 16-day scientific research mission, was originally scheduled to land at 9:16 a.m. EST (14:16 GMT) but lost contact with the ground control at about 9:00 a.m. EST (14:00GMT) when it was 207,000 feet (about 63,100 meters) above the Earth over southern US state of Texas.

Residents in northern Texas claimed that they heard "a rumble" which last for more than one minute.

The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) hadnot officially confirmed the breakup yet but already declared an emergency, warning residents in Texas to beware of any fallen objects and not to touch any debris they find.

"Any debris that is located in the Dallas-Forth Worth vicinity should be avoided and may be hazardous due to the toxic nature of propellants used on board the shuttle and should be reported to local law enforcement authorities," said a statement issued by NASA mission control in Houston, Texas.

The space agency said it had already scrambled rescue teams rushing for Texas to search for the possible wreckage of the orbiter and its crew which includes the first Israeli astronaut.

In Washington, US officials said US President George W. Bush has been briefed on the incident at the presidential retreat in Camp David, Maryland.

Although the exact cause for the incident remains unknown, US officials are inclined to rule out any connection with terrorism.

Space shuttle Colombia went into service in 1981 and is said to be the NASA's oldest shuttle. The incident came on its 28th flight.

If the incident is confirmed, it will be the first time for NASA to lose a shuttle crew during the landing or the ride back to the Earth in more than four decades of human adventure into space.

Seven astronauts onboard the Columbia space shuttle

There are seven astronauts onboard the Columbia space shuttle, which was possibly blasted early Saturday morning. Among them are two females, and the first Israeli astronaut ever entering the space.

Ilan Ramon -- 48, a colonel in the Israeli Air Force, was a fighter pilot who was the only payload specialist on Columbia. Ramon received a bachelor of science in electronics and computer engineering from the University of Tel Aviv, Israel, in 1987. Ramon was selected as a payload specialist by the Israeli Air Force in 1997 and approved by US space agency NASA in 1998. He reported for training at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston in July 1998 and was making his first space flight.

Rick D. Husband -- 45, a colonel in the US Air Force, was a test pilot and veteran of one space flight. He served as commander for Columbia. He was selected by NASA in December 1994.

William C. McCool -- 41, a commander in the US Navy, was a former test pilot. He served as pilot for Columbia. Selected by NASA in April 1996, McCool was making his first space flight.

Michael P. Anderson -- 43, a lieutenant colonel in the US Air Force, was a former instructor pilot and tactical officer, and a veteran of one space flight. He served as payload commander and mission specialist for Columbia. He was selected by NASA in December 1994.

David M. Brown -- 46, a captain in the US Navy, was a naval aviator and flight surgeon. He served as mission specialist for Columbia. Selected by NASA in April 1996, Brown was making his first space flight.

Kalpana Chawla -- 41, was an aerospace engineer and an certified flight instructor. She was serving as flight engineer and mission specialist for Columbia. She was selected by NASA in December 1994.

Laurel Blair Salton Clark -- 41, a commander in the US Navy and a naval flight surgeon, was mission specialist on Columbia. Selected by NASA in April 1996, Clark was making her first space flight.

Space shuttle Columbia confirmed destroyed without survivors

Officials at the US space agency NASA announced on Saturday that the space shuttle Columbia was destroyed and it did not appear there are any survivors.

"Sadly, from the video that's available, it does not appear that there were any survivors," said Bill Readdy, associate administrator for space flight. Six Americans and the first Israeli astronaut were on board the space shuttle.

Columbia disintegrated in flames over Texas at about 9:00 a.m. (1400 GMT), when it was traveling at an altitude of about 200,000 feet (60,000 meters) and at six times the speed of sound. It had been scheduled to land at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida at 9:16 EST (1416 GMT) after a 16-day mission.

Debris had been found across Texas and apparently some other states.

No suggestion that terrorism is involved

Earlier, Bush administration officials said there was no immediate information to suggest that terrorism was involved with the disappearance of the space shuttle. The Federal Bureau of Investigation said it was not involved in the investigation.

There was no threat made against the flight and that the shuttle was out of range of a surface-to-air missile, administration officials said. NASA headquarters said there had been no reported difficulties from the shuttle before it lost contact with ground control.

The presence of Ilan Ramon, the Israeli astronaut, had resulted in an increase in security both for Columbia's launch and for its planned landing. Space agency officials feared her presence might make the shuttle more of a terrorist target, reports said.

The loss of Columbia is the most serious shuttle incident since the Challenger exploded on Jan. 28, 1986, shortly after liftoff, killing all seven astronauts on board.

It took NASA three years to return to space and launch the Discovery shuttle after the Challenger disaster. Many worried the latest tragedy might interrupt NASA space programs, according to local television reports.

The seven astronauts aboard the Columbia shuttle had conducted more than 80 experiments during their 16-day mission, the 28th for Columbia, NASA's oldest shuttle.

Bush: journey to space to continue despite Columbia tragedy

US President George W. Bush announced on Saturday that all seven astronauts were killed in the loss of the space shuttle Columbia they were aboard but said America's journey to the space will go on.

"The Columbia's lost. There are no survivors," Bush said in a brief televised address from the White House. "These men and women assumed great risk in the service to all humanity."

Bush slowly read the names of the six Americans and the first Israeli astronaut on board the space shuttle. "Our entire nation grieves with you and those you love will always have the respect and gratitude of this country."

"The cause in which they died will continue," Bush said. "Our journey into space will go on."

Bush returned to the White House from Camp David in Maryland after he was briefed on the tragedy earlier in the day. Before his address, he telephoned the families of the astronauts to console them.

The flag on top of the White House was lowered to half-staff.

The space shuttle Columbia lost contact with flight controllers in Mission Control, Houston, at about 9:00 a.m. EST (1400 GMT), 16 minutes before it was scheduled to land at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, after a 16-day mission.

Minutes later, debris was seen falling from the skies over Texas and apparently some other states. The space shuttle apparently disintegrated in flames over Texas when it was traveling at an altitude of about 200,000 feet (60,000 meters) and at six times the speed of sound.

At a news conference at the Kennedy Space Center, NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe announced that experts from the US Air Force and Navy, which had five of the seven crew members, would join officials from the Transportation Department and other federal agencies on an independent board to investigate the tragedy.

The space agency also will conduct its own investigation into the disaster, O'Keefe said, adding that there was no indication that anything or anyone on the ground had caused the tragedy.

Space disasters in mankind's history of space exploration

The following is a chronology of astronauts and cosmonauts killed in the history of space exploration:

-- Jan. 27, 1967: Astronauts Gus Grissom, Edward H. White and Roger B. Chaffee die when a fire sweeps their command module during a ground test at Kennedy Space Center.

-- April 24, 1967: Soviet cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov became the first person to die in a space mission when his Soyuz I spacecraft crashes on return to Earth.

-- June 29, 1971: Soviet cosmonauts Georgy Dobrovolsky, Vladislav Volkov and Viktor Patsayev die during re-entry of their Soyuz 11 spacecraft after 24 days in an orbiting space laboratory.

-- Jan. 28, 1986: The space shuttle Challenger explodes 73 seconds after launch, killing all seven astronauts aboard, including Christa McAuliffe, intended to be the first teacher in space.

-- Feb. 1, 2003: Space shuttle Columbia breaks apart in flamesabout 60,900 meters over Texas, 16 minutes before it was supposed to touch down in Florida. All seven aboard were killed. They were:William McCool, Rick Husband, Michael Anderson, Kalpana Chawla,David Brown, Laurel Clark and Ilan Ramon, Israel's first astronaut.

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