This is indeed shocking. I've been watching Fox National since the beginning. It's my understanding that the on-board computer sets the proper trajectory for reentry. The crew simply sits back until the craft has returned into our atmosphere. Now, if any terrorist group is involved in this tragedy, they could have done something with the programming of the computer which was overlooked by programmers. Perhaps an extra line of code. I certainly hope this wasn't the case and NASA has adequate precautions to avoid tampering with the computer program. My condolences to the families and friends of the crew. Jim

(please forgive image). NOAA, Shreveport LA:

Ironic ?I'm sorry but I'm not sure I follow your drift on this one...Why do you find it ironic ?Twister

That is what I am seeing from the Lake Charles site as well.http://www.srh.noaa.gov/radar/latest/DS.p19r0/si.klch.shtmlBrent Hebert

http://home.hawaii.rr.com/kailuajujitsu/Ka...erican-Flag.jpghttp://www.radio.cbc.ca/programs/global/im...lags/israel.jpg

Columbia was on it's 28th flight...what happened?!!

Feel free to use the image.Regards,Joehttp://ftp.avsim.com/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboa...rum=DCForumID47

Joe I will use this on a site I will be putting up in memorial to the flight. Thanks. I will link to your site to if thats ok. http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cadillac43/dedication.htmlhttp://mywebpages.comcast.net/cadillac43/takeoff.gifTonyFlyII! ver. 2.40Directx 8.1nVidia drivers 41.09ECS K7S5A SOCKETA /DDR/ATX MB, DDR SRAM 128MB PC-2100 266MHZ MEMORY ,AMD ATHLON T-BIRD 1.2GHZ 256K FSB266 PGA , NVIDIA GEFORCE2 MX-400 64MB AGP

Permission Granted. Thanks for asking.Regards,Joe

My prayers go out to the Columbia astronauts and their families, and my heartfelt condolences to all involved at NASA.Truly, a sad and tragic day.Toni.

I just saw the Columbia on the pad when I took my vacation to Florida...This is very saddening indeed. :(I wonder what will happen to the shuttle program after this?My heart goes out to all affected by this tragedy.

Sleeping in, I woke up to this news today. I feel guilty that I don't feel anywhere near as numb as I did back in 1986. Maybe it's because I didn't see it live? Perhaps it is because the images of the tragidy don't look quite as cataclysmic as the Challenger disaster? Probably because I knew that after CHallenger, there would be more tragedies as we continued the exploration of flight. My prayers are with the families of the seven who perished. May the souls of the seven be quickly on their way to the "ultimate" space station, where they will rest in peace and comfort. May their memories be honored by the continued manned exploration of space.

OMG that looks horrible. :-(

"Sleeping in, I woke up to this news today. "I was doing the same thing, sleeping in. I thought about the return yesterday and usually watch the return on TV. I guess as most who have witnessed the return. We unknowningly have fell into a lull. That is to say we have became so use to seeing them return safely. But as they are saying on the news reports this morning that take off and return. This is the most critical time involved. There is and will always be the danger factor. I have the space simulator installed on my system and its very difficult to fly. So I can appreciate the people involved with our space program. This is truly a sad day for the families and all involved. I'm at a loss for the right words to say. http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cadillac43/dedication.htmlhttp://mywebpages.comcast.net/cadillac43/takeoff.gifTonyFlyII! ver. 2.40Directx 8.1nVidia drivers 41.09ECS K7S5A SOCKETA /DDR/ATX MB, DDR SRAM 128MB PC-2100 266MHZ MEMORY ,AMD ATHLON T-BIRD 1.2GHZ 256K FSB266 PGA , NVIDIA GEFORCE2 MX-400 64MB AGP

I'm leaving tomorrow morning for Florida and one of my stops was to be the Kennedy Space Center. What a horrible tragedy.....