Slashdot Mirror


Columbia Accident Investigation Board: Final Report

ssclift writes "After nearly 7 months the Columbia Accident Investigation Board has released its final report into the February 1st loss of the Shuttle Columbia and all 7 crew members. This is more than a technical assessment of the immediate causes of the accident. Once again, sadly, the world's flagship space agency gets a thorough and grim review. Press briefings will begin at 11:00 EDT along with a webcast."

3 of 414 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Starved for money and lacking direction by TheSync · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    I hazzard a guess that the long-term benefit to the people of Iraq and Afghanistan of the recent US interventions will be much larger than the benefit to them of the Space Shuttle.

  2. I nominate DARL MCBRIDE by greechneb · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    Lets all send Darl to Mars, and put him in charge of the intellectual property there.

  3. Re:Starved for money and lacking direction by fmaxwell · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    I hazzard a guess that the long-term benefit to the people of Iraq and Afghanistan of the recent US interventions will be much larger than the benefit to them of the Space Shuttle.

    You've been listening to too much propaganda. The U.S. has attacked numerous countries over the years and failed to establish humane democracies in most of them.

    In 1953, we helped overthrow Iranian President Mohammad Mossadegh and installed the brutal Shah of Iran -- who was later ousted by Islamic fundamentalists.

    In 1954, a CIA-organized coup toppled the nationalist reformist government of Guatemalan President Jacobo Arbenz in favor of a military government that suppressed opposition until the return of democracy in 1986. Civil war effectively continued until 1996.

    In 1960, Congo African nationalist leader Patrice Lumumba, elected in June 1960 as the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was assassinated following a US/Belgian-organized coup designed to remove the Soviet-backed government. Succession by Mobutu Sese Seko ushered in 32 years of dictatorial and corrupt rule.

    In 1973, the CIA secretly funded a coup against Chilean Marxist President Salvador Allende which brought Gen. Augusto Pinochet to power for 17 years. General Pinochet later faced charges for human rights abuses committed during his years in power, but the Chilean Supreme Court dismissed the case, ruling the Pinochet unfit to stand trial.

    We don't have a great record.