FC: More on Space Shuttle Columbia disaster earlier today

From: Declan McCullagh (declanat_private)
Date: Sat Feb 01 2003 - 14:13:28 PST

  • Next message: Declan McCullagh: "FC: eBay sellers already hawking "shuttle debris""

    I don't know Dian, but Terry is a longtime and valued subscriber to 
    Politech. NASA still has Dian's bio online, which says she was a propellant 
    engineer:
    http://ltp.arc.nasa.gov/women/bios/dh.html
    
    Also, while it may be just a coincidence, remember that Columbia carried 
    Israel's first astronaut and came as tensions in the Middle East are growing:
    
    http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/258358.html
    >Space agency officials feared his presence might make the shuttle more of 
    >a terrorist target... A senior law enforcement official, speaking on 
    >condition of anonymity, said there had been some intelligence that raised 
    >concerns about a previously scheduled flight of Columbia, which was to 
    >have carried the same crew...
    
    -Declan
    
    ---
    
    To: declanat_private
    Cc: daveat_private
    Date: Sat, 1 Feb 2003 16:17:44 -0500
    Subject: re: Challenger - Fw: I  F-ING WARNED THEM.
    From: terry.sat_private
    
    Dian is a naturist friend in Florida.  She's one of the first two women
    in the country to have gone through US Marine EOD, Explosive Ordnance
    Disposal school.  She also has some stories about being subjected to a
    made-for-TV arrest in the time since being fired by NASA for allegedly
    threatening a politician, a misuse of felony law a la "Homeland Security"
    trying to silence her political outspoken attitude and frequent directed
    criticism newspaper letters to editors.   --  Terry
    
    ====
    
    Two years ago, I was a highly decorated NASA engineer.  I was awarded
    their highest medal, for Exceptional Achievement -- something that is usually
    reserved for senior managers -- because of my expertise.
    
    I was a safety engineer.
    
    I was removed from my GS-13 position, as an internationally-recognized
    authority on hypergolic propellants and explosives, and forced off the
    Kennedy Space Center.  At gunpoint.
    
    Their excuse was that I had "abused government equipment."  Because I
    sent a friend an e-mail joke.
    
    The reality was that I wouldn't play their "political ball."
    
    I F-ING WARNED THEM.
    
    I told them that the technicians and engineers were overworked.  I told
    them that there were too many managers and too many meetings and
    "dog-and-pony"
    shows.  I told them that their senior "face time" play games, while they
    spent all their time plotting how to give each other pay raises, and left
    the guys on the floor to struggle day to day with obsolete and overpriced and
    unqualified equipment, was going to result in another Challenger.
    
    I was there for Challenger.
    
    I saw the same exact conditions happening again.  Overpaid, lazy,
    irresponsible managers concerned solely with their climbing up their
    ladders.
    
    I told them they were skimping on inspections.  I told them that the
    ground  crews were asleep on their feet from exhaustion.  I made as much 
    noise as I  knew how to make about the top-heavy bureaucracy sitting around 
    in their
    fancy panelled offices, giving whorish press interviews in their
    smugness, while they did not have a clue what was going on in the real 
    world where I was working.
    
    They fired me.  They fired a GS-13 civil servant, with an Exceptional
    Service medal and ten dozen commendations.  For sending an e-mail joke.
    
    In reality, for objecting to political fat-cats sitting on their fat rear
    ends and failing to do their jobs.
    
    Like Challenger, those who are most guilty are the ones who will attempt
    to make the most political capital out of it.  But the blame for Columbia
    lies entirely and totally with the NASA administrators.  They should all be
    investigated for their criminal negligence.  They should all serve time
    in jail.
    
    I warned them.  They did their best to destroy me, because I warned them.
    
    It's too bad that innocent astronauts paid with their lives for NASA
    managers greed and political ass-kissing.
    
    But I am not surprised.
    
    Two years ago, I warned them.
    
    Dian Hardison
    Cocoa, FL  32927
    
    ---
    
    From: "shayne oneill" <shayneat_private>
    To: <declanat_private>
    References: <5.1.1.6.0.20030201114528.01f2cac0at_private>
    Subject: Re: Space shuttle Columbia disintegrated during descent today
    Date: Sun, 2 Feb 2003 03:26:25 +0800
    
    This is a real tragedy Declan,
    
    As a kid growing up in Australia , I remember watching the Challenger
    tragedy  at some wierdly early hour of the morning, waking up my father
    (jumping on bed!) and us both being traumatised at the tragedy of it all.
    
    This tragedy is also worthy of note and pause. Perhaps the saddest thing of
    it all, is that the Israeli Astronaut Col. Ilan Ramon was truly a
    representative of peace at a time when both the israeli and palestinian
    governments seem so keen on war.
    
    I'm sure I speak for most Australians when I express my dearest condolences
    to America, Israel and all those represented on this flight.
    
    Shayne.
    
    ---
    
    From: "Dennis Dayman" <dennisat_private>
    To: <declanat_private>
    Subject: RE: Space shuttle Columbia disintegrated during descent today
    Date: Sat, 1 Feb 2003 11:18:03 -0600
    
    We saw it in the air breakup here in Dallas.  We have been on the phone with
    WFAA who has the best shots of this incident.
    
    Another sad day.  It's weird that is happened four (4) days after the
    anniversary of the Columbia incident Jan 28, 1986.
    
    -Dennis
    This message was written on 100% recycled spam.
    
    ---
    
    Date: Sat, 1 Feb 2003 09:35:12 -0800 (PST)
    From: Joseph Lorenzo Hall <jhallat_private>
    X-X-Sender: jhall@irk
    To: Declan McCullagh <declanat_private>
    Subject: Re: FC: Space shuttle Columbia disintegrated during descent today
    
    [feel free to post]
    
    I've mirrored a radar loop of the debris field near Dallas.  It's
    somewhat somber of a sight.  The diffuse signal in the center is
    Dallas... the streak is the Columbia debris being dispersed by the
    wind (probably blowind roughly East):
    
    http://astron.berkeley.edu/~jhall/export/shuttledebrisfieldradarloop.gif
    
    if that didn't fit, try this: http://www.shorl.com/dyhedrosihagra
    
    ------------------------------------------------------------------
    Joseph Lorenzo Hall                     jhallat_private
    Graduate Student                        astron.berkeley.edu/~jhall
    Astronomy Department
    601 Campbell Hall                       voice: (510) 643-8592
    University of California at Berkeley    fax  : (510) 642-3411
    Berkeley, CA 94720-3411                 face : 753B Campbell
    
    ---
    
    Date: Sat, 01 Feb 2003 14:51:39 -0500
    Subject: Re: FC: Space shuttle Columbia disintegrated during descent today
    From: Space Rogue <spacerogat_private>
    To: <declanat_private>
    Message-ID: <BA618F7A.117F4%spacerogat_private>
    In-Reply-To: <5.1.1.6.0.20030201114528.01f2cac0at_private>
    
    Patches for STS-107 are already being listed on eBay with starting bids at
    $99.99
    
    There are about three pages of items under a search for "shuttle" that have
    been listed since this morning.
    
    A search for "shuttle debris" so far turns up nothing.
    
    - SR
    
    
    
    
    
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