We didn't get any audible or visual cues that anything was wrong, here in San Antonio, apart from the obvious news reports and such. I admit I did go outside to look, just in case, as it felt very sobering to have a "personal" connection to the astronauts' predicament as they overflew the Lonestar State.
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In happier news, the STS-121 and Expedition 13 (International Space Station) crews are preparing to dock this morning. The live video on NASA TV is worth checking out for anyone who can sneak a peak at video from work (if you can sneak GH, you can sneak NASA!) Various video views of the Space Shuttle as seen from the ISS, and vice versa. They're closing in on each other at 3 feet per second and only about 2,500 feet apart at present. Docking will be complete by 10:52 a.m. CST:


Photo Copyright NASA & CNN

 

I was at Stephen F Austin State University when the Columbia first went up. Much of the debris landed there when it broke up.

 

A lot of folks went out to see the station and shuttle fly over. Our local weather reports had the transit times. It is the brightest object in orbit and easy to see in the evenings.

Bob Wilson

 

I am a big supporter of manned space flight, but I think it is necessary that we recognize that space is a harsh environment, that space flight is inherently dangerous and lives will be lost, and that no space vehicle built by man will every make space travel "safe". So we need to get on with it and put as many people into space as we can. In my opinion, the cost per space traveler of trying to make space travel truly "safe" will prevent us from really doing the things in space that the human race needs to do.

That being said, I was hoping for a delayed launch since I will be in the Orlando/Cocoa Beach area July 14-21, and I wanted to take my kids to the launch. It seems we will have to settle for watching a landing (or fly over on approach) if I can figure out when and where.

 

The STS-121 has been awake for several hours now and has begun deorbit preparations to return home a little later this morning.

One of the astronauts said something I just wanted to share:Amen, Piers, Amen.