Opinions??
Terrorism, accident, technical error or maybe human [pilot] error??

What do YOU think??

Probably an accident. I don't see how terrorism could be responsible. Any sabatoge would probably have destroyed it going up, and security was very tight. I doubt it is very easy to hit a vehicle with a missile when it is going mach 18 at 200,000 feet. As for human error, it is possible.

I have heard that a bit of debri fell off the external fuel tank during the launch. They do not know if that caused the problem, but it is a possibility. It hit the left wing, and that wing was the one to lose sensors first. However, the crew said it was fine, so who knows at this point. Just one of many possibilities I guess.

Yeah they said the debris might not have been the cause. i think it was a human error, the pilot probably just came in to steep, as they speculated. Just have to wait till the investigation is over to find out for sure. (if they find anything)

Sorry, but do you seriously think, for one second, that they would let a mere human pilot a ship travelling at 12,500 mph into the earth's atmosphere!! Not even Superman would have the reflexes to handle that job.
Most probable cause is mechanical failure.

There is no way that the shuttle could have come in at a different angle to protect the damaged bit--the trajectory is TOO specific and unchangeable [bounce-out or burn in atmosphere], so they had to go in blind, and hope the damage wasn't too lethal.

Claims of freezing the programme till 2008 are fully justified IMO

Man everyone thinks EVERY disaster was terrorism, GIVE ME A BREAK come on we have taken care of most of the terrorists ofver here and the few we might (might) have left are not in any position to sabotage the space shuttle or even get onto NASA grounds people should stop even suspecting it jeez. I know why the shuttle went down, the same reson most planes go down, It was an old flying piece of shit and it was EXTREAMLY irresponsible for NASA to send it up. Oh well we needed to build a new shuttle anywayz, perhaps now they will

Hey man you frorgot the punch line!!

Oops I wuz in a hurry
Slaughter on slurry

Thats a little better but something like slaughter on terrorists would have been better

Hehe But it rymed you see. I'll hafta try that! Say how bout a new one.
Doom on you Sad ham insane!

Yeh good on ya man.
have ya checked your messages yet?

I watched the NASA conference thingy (bored). They said that coming in too steep IS a possibilty, as well as a human error is a possibility because after they come through the atmosphere it goes to manual control. But don't forget the loss of sensors and debris that came off.

Checked yours

yeh just then, check yours again!

human error, mechanical failure, who cares? it was a trgic and pointless loss of life, and all that will happen from questions like these is that fingers will be pointed, someone will get the full blame (and theyll probably be completely innocent), and another persons life is ruined by this incident. and as for terrorist, the chances of that are, as mentioned earlier, pretty slim.

pretty depressing stuff, really - we are the most technologically advanced species on our planet and all we can succeed in doing is killing ourselves and blaming it on everyone possible except ourself.

Why would you say its a pointless loss of life???????

these Dudes KNEW what they were getting into, when they signed up to become astrodudes.

I agree pointless is probably the wrong word. But it is nonetheless sad.

They did their country a great deed, not pointless.

Well spoken killa. i think that the fact that those guys died the way they did would influence the trainee astronuaghts at bit.

I think it was a kick in the ass for the space program, showing us nothing is perfect. The last shuttle accident was caused by a hairline crack in a fuel exchange pump. Doesnt that tell us something, A fly could have caused that hairline crack.
You should all be ashamed for disgracing these peoples names. They died for the progress of mankind and the voyage of a lifetime. Yes they did know what might happen but this is not their fault. They died in vain of propaganda, and you compare their live to some mere machinery, shame on you! They would be missed and their families are in shock. My thoughts go out to them. What are you gonna do next guys, slag off the victims of the september the 11th attacks!