   --The families of the space shuttle Columbia astronauts On February 1, 2003, the NASA Space Shuttle Columbia exploded during re-entry over the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas, killing the seven member crew. Most of the debris has been found in and around Nacogdoches, in deep East Texas, where I attend Stephen F. Austin State University. As a member of the Appleby Fire Dept, I have been searching for parts of the shuttle. More than twelve thousand pieces of wreckage have been found so far and the numbers keep rising. I, like many Nacogdoches area residents, was awakened Saturday morning with a rumbling roar that was intense enough to shake the walls of my apartment. As reports of debris came in, I went out to photograph the pieces that had already been found, and to search for more wreckage. Mr. Michaels is my astronomy lab coordinator. Click here to read his eyewitness account of the explosion. “Law enforcement officials are asking anyone with information about debris unaccounted for within the Nacogdoches city limits to call 559-2607, for debris located outside the city but within the county, call 560-7777, and for debris outside the county and personal photos that may be of use to the investigation, please contact the Johnson Space Center Emergency Operations Center at (281) 483-3388 or e-mail columbiaimages@nasa.gov.” -- The Pine Log, SFASU Student Newspaper Here are some images taken by others:
Below are photos of debris that I have seen. Click on the images to enlarge them.  A piece of a circuit board with two transistors found in my apartment complex  The piece of a circuit board found in my apartment complex next to a cone with a "God Bless America" sign and a flower to mourn those lost in the tragedy  A thin strip of twisted metal found outside of my apartment building  A three-foot wide section of metal next to a bank in downtown Nacogdoches. Notice the chunks of concert blown out around it.  The three-foot wide piece of metal with the first flowers at the scene to mourn those who were lost. I am standing to the right.  Another view of the three-foot metal piece  A ten-inch by eight-inch section of canvas with a waxy surface found in Pioneer Park  A close-up of the section of canvas found in Pioneer Park. Notice the holes where thread had been. A friend of Dan's offered this information about it.  A large piece of metal on the west-bound side of Texas Highway 7 outside of Nacogdoches   Map on CNN that shows shuttle sightings and the debris field. Notice the misspelling of Nacogdoches.  Corrected map from CNN of the debris field  A radar image that shows the debris in the air as it moved across the state 
God bless the seven brave victims of this tragedy. Email the webmaster |
