First Report of the Columbia Accident on Usenet

From: Craig Fink (craig_at_WeBeGood.net)
Date: 01/16/05 

Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2005 16:11:45 GMT

I spent a little time looking at Usenet posting from Jan 16, 2003 thru Feb
1, 2003 looking for posting on Columbia during the flight. Here is what I
found.

The Award goes to James Oberg, for being first to mention the Columbia
Accident on Usenet way back on January 22, 2003 in the following thread.

http://groups-beta.google.com/group/sci.space.shuttle/browse_frm/thread/11d24a2ac85661fe/7d4996f29ad4acb6

6:00 a.m.

Mr. Oberg seems concerned, maybe even agitated, in his initial three
sentence posting at 6:00 a.m. on Jan 22. The Subject Line: "Who are the
STS-107 EVA crewmen, and do they have SAFRs along on this flight?", is
also the only relevant line in the posting followed by a cryptic lawyer
during a trial statement, "I will establish relevance, judge, please allow
this line of questioning."

To me this posting appears to be an attempt to figure out how to view the
damage to Columbia's wing, or even possibly repair it.

7:48 a.m. Jacques van Oene, "If my information is right, Anderson and
Brown are the STS-107 EVA crew ... I do not know about safer..."

9:43 a.m. James Oberg, "I've been informed there are no SAFRs on 107."

2:53 p.m. Eddie Lyons, "If you have identified an issue, do tell! 8-)"

5:51 p.m. James Oberg, "There was some initial concern over ET insulation
impacting a wing during ascent, but that seems to now be evaluated as
essentially harmless."

To me it looks like Mr. Oberg may have been working on a story, possibly
one that included "actually" looking at, and inspecting, the damage to
Columbia's wing. A story, that would have been very public, prior to the
Columbia Disaster. But, over a 12 hr period, he was reassured and or
persuaded, that it really wasn't a story after all.

The scoop of a lifetime that quite possibly would have saved Columbia's
Astronauts had slipped through his fingers in under 12 hours.

Craig Fink

Relevant Pages

  • First Report of the Columbia Accident on Usenet
    ... I spent a little time looking at Usenet posting from Jan 16, ... The Award goes to James Oberg, for being first to mention the Columbia ... STS-107 EVA crewmen, and do they have SAFRs along on this flight?", is ...
    (sci.space.shuttle)
  • Re: Get the Best Seat on the Plane for Your Next Flight to a Cruise
    ... > Jean O'Boyle wrote: ... >>>>next flight: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8704900/ Aloha ... >>>In posting that link, you could have mentioned, http://www.seatguru.com/ ...
    (rec.travel.cruises)
  • Re: Entering USA at Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
    ... How many people in the party, ... You can assume he's arriving by private yacht or he wouldn't be ... And, since he's posting from Surrey, ... British Columbia one can also assume he is a long ways from Port ...
    (rec.boats.cruising)
  • Re: Entering USA at Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
    ... How many people in the party, ... You can assume he's arriving by private yacht or he wouldn't be posting ... And, since he's posting from Surrey, British Columbia ...
    (rec.boats.cruising)
  • Re: not progressing
    ... Congratulations on continuing your training and finding a flight ... Good luck to you on finishing for the checkride and please keep posting ... very receptive to new people and encouraging for students. ... have found a master instructor and will be changing airports and flight ...
    (rec.aviation.student)
Quantcast