Edie, Looks like they were doomed from the start, if the foam was the problem, as there was really nothing anyone could have done anyway. The tiles appear to be the weakest part of the shuttle. They told us that even a finger print could cause a tile to over heat and burn up. Fount ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rob and Edie McArthur" <robmc@our.net.au> To: "Fount Armstrong" <farmstrong3@cfl.rr.com>; <ARMSTRONG-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, February 08, 2003 5:53 PM Subject: Re: [ARMSTRONG-L] Space > I was wondering Fount if the crew would have been told about the foam > dropping off the craft or would they have been kept in the dark about this. > Had they known, it would have made them very nervous since they couldn't fix > it. I see they are looking for a top secret piece from the Columbus. > Edie > Edie > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Fount Armstrong" <farmstrong3@cfl.rr.com> > To: "Rob and Edie McArthur" <robmc@our.net.au>; <ARMSTRONG-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Sunday, February 09, 2003 4:58 AM > Subject: Re: [ARMSTRONG-L] Space > > > > Edie, > > I guess people forget how many things can go wrong on a shuttle mission. > > There isn't much of a chance to fix what goes wrong while in space or > taking > > off or landing. > > They told us, while at the Space Center, that when the shuttle is > launched, > > there is more energy used than the atom bomb that blew up when we bombed > > Japan. > > Fount > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Rob and Edie McArthur" <robmc@our.net.au> > > To: "Fount Armstrong" <farmstrong3@cfl.rr.com>; <ARMSTRONG-L@rootsweb.com> > > Sent: Monday, February 03, 2003 5:48 PM > > Subject: Re: [ARMSTRONG-L] Space > > > > > > > You have some insight as to what the Spacecraft looked like and know > what > > > they are talking about when they say about the tiles and other parts > that > > > fell off. > > > > > > It is so far away, but you cannot still help feeling for those poor > > > astronauts adn their families. Then there are the families of the > > students > > > who have perished in that avalanche in British Columibia. You just > don't > > > think it can happen to you, but it does. > > > > > > Edie > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "Fount Armstrong" <farmstrong3@cfl.rr.com> > > > To: <ARMSTRONG-L@rootsweb.com> > > > Sent: Tuesday, February 04, 2003 2:31 AM > > > Subject: Re: [ARMSTRONG-L] Space > > > > > > > > > > Edie, > > > > > > > > We live about 25 miles south of the Cape and stood in our yard and > > watched > > > > the lift off of Columbia, never dreaming that it and its crew would > > never > > > > land. > > > > On the morning it was to land, we were to pick up my wife's niece's > > family > > > > from a cruse with the St Louis Cardinals and we left a few minutes > early > > > so > > > > as to watch the Columbia land. I waited for the sonic boom that rocks > > our > > > > house when a shuttle comes in and expected a really loud one from > where > > > were > > > > waiting and nothing happened. I searched the sky, along with thousands > > of > > > > others, who waited on roadsides and beaches and nothing was to be > seen. > > > > We had our radio on a station that was covering the landing and > dreaded > > > > reports started coming in. We knew there was to be no landing. People > > > stayed > > > > in the area looking at the sky and then looking at each other and > slowly > > > > getting in their cars as if they didn't know what to do. > > > > The Columbia was the shuttle that Denis Armstrong took some of us > > > Armstrongs > > > > inside the building where they were preparing her for an earlier > flight > > > and > > > > workers were replacing damaged tiles and had it opened up and we could > > see > > > > inside and marvel at the size of it. We couldn't touch it as it was > only > > > > touched by workers dressed as if they were in an operating room. > > > > Fount > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > From: "Rob and Edie McArthur" <robmc@our.net.au> > > > > To: <ARMSTRONG-L@rootsweb.com> > > > > Sent: Sunday, February 02, 2003 5:16 PM > > > > Subject: Re: [ARMSTRONG-L] Space > > > > > > > > > > > > > Some of the remarks Joe in the paper from the family members are, > > their > > > > > Loved ones got to fulfill their dreams of making it to space. With > > that > > > > in > > > > > mind and looking for the positives in the situation. I think we > have > > to > > > > be > > > > > pleased for them and it is something for their families to hold on > to. > > > > Would > > > > > have been great to have been that close to the spacecraft. We were > in > > > > > Florida in 1989, but didn't have a clue how much time was needed to > > see > > > > all > > > > > the sites and didn't get to see that area unfortunately. > > > > > > > > > > Australia had an interest in the Columbia, as children from a school > > in > > > > > victoria, had been doing a science project which involved sending > > > spiders > > > > > into space inside of the Columbia. Think it was an experiment to > see > > > how > > > > > strong the spider webs were. I am sure there was more to it. It > will > > be > > > > in > > > > > the newspapers somewhere. They had been working on the project for > 4 > > > > years. > > > > > So a huge disappointment for them and I suppose those children will > be > > > > > affected emotionally by the Spacecraft exploding with all those > lives > > > > lost. > > > > > Edie > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > > From: "Joe Armstrong" <gateshead8@gateshead8.free-online.co.uk> > > > > > To: <ARMSTRONG-L@rootsweb.com> > > > > > Sent: Monday, February 03, 2003 5:32 AM > > > > > Subject: [ARMSTRONG-L] Space > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Dear Armstrongs, > > > > > > > > > > > > As a young laddie I was regarded as a bit of a nut as we used to > > say. > > > > > Why? > > > > > > because I read those crazy tales of men travelling into space > that's > > > > why. > > > > > > > > > > > > Well, we lived to see it come true, and no doubt all the mockers > > > would > > > > be > > > > > > saying how they knew all along that it was likely! (#}:0)) > > > > > > > > > > > > It came many years, indeed decades, before I really expected it. > > As > > > a > > > > > boy > > > > > > it seemed that if I lived to be a very old man it might just come > > > about > > > > > > before I died. In the event I was a relatively young man when it > > > > happened > > > > > > that 'Our Niel' stepped on the Moon. > > > > > > > > > > > > All told there have been 24 dramatic deaths which, although they > > > cause > > > > > > eternal grief to the families concerned, bring glory to the nation > > and > > > > the > > > > > > people who devised and carried out the whole space programme. > > > > > > > > > > > > It seems an awful thing to say but when you consider the enormity > > of > > > > what > > > > > > has been achieved this appears to be a modest price to pay. > > > > > > > > > > > > Look at the history of flight, look at the history of the motor > > car. > > > > All > > > > > > have their martyrs and victims, they still do. > > > > > > > > > > > > In this region on New Year's Eve a crazy unstoppable car thief > with > > > 92 > > > > > > convictions mowed down a family killing the six year old daughter > > and > > > > > > severely injuring her younger sister. > > > > > > > > > > > > This; 130 years after the motor was invented! It puts the > tragedy > > of > > > > > > yesterday into perspective. > > > > > > > > > > > > Even bearing in mind all those men who died in the experiments > with > > > > > > aircraft leading to the development of spacecraft it is still a > > model > > > of > > > > > > caution in the making of Man's greatest adventure. > > > > > > > > > > > > On March 27th 2001 Rita and I went with Gerri and Fount Armstrong > > > > > > to the hangar where the shuttles are serviced, led by Dennis > > Armstrong > > > > > > of N.A.S.A. > > > > > > > > > > > > Here a quote from my journal for that day; > > > > > > > > > > > > "We went into hangar 2 the one where Columbia is being readied. > > > > > > What a thrill to stand under that huge wing, only feet overhead. > > > > > > A woman was doing something just inside the door at the nosecone. > > > > > > Others did jobs on other parts. We are not allowed to touch it > but > > > the > > > > > > thought came to me I was standing in the front of a vehicle that > has > > > > > > many times been in space. We were all overawed by the occasion." > > > > > > > > > > > > That wonder has not diminished, it is indeed a high adventure. > > > > > > > > > > > > The Columbia crew are dead, but, > > > > > > > > > > > > The Dream Is Alive! > > > > > > > > > > > > Joe Armstrong > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >