[meteorite-list] Credit Card-Sized Fragment Of Columbia Found In California?

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:18:25 2004
Message-ID: <200302052248.OAA14098_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

>
> Hello List, I wish NASA would put out a map showing the flight path in
> better detail. Shuttle debris in Joshua tree, in southern California, YA
> RIGHT! The shuttle flew over N.California! Shuttle debris in Phoenix AZ. The
> shuttle flew over N. AZ !

I did find this ground track map for Columbia:

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/groundtracs/sts-107/ksc255/DOL.html

As far as finding debris well off the flight path,
I think that it is possible with the shuttle tiles or any lightweight
material. I have a sample of a shuttle tile that I purchased at the
Visitor's Center at Kennedy Space Center. It is very light, and I can
see it traveling large distances away from the shuttle by the winds,
particularly if it is has separated from the shuttle at very high
altitudes. Also, don't forget, there is something like 24,000 tiles
on the shuttle. Since they were designed to to dissipate heat and
survive in high temperature, I wouldn't be surprised if all the tiles
survived reentry and reached the ground.

Ron Baalke
Received on Wed 05 Feb 2003 05:48:09 PM PST