http://www.kesq.com/Global/story.asp?S=1116803&nav=9qrxDo78
Debris found in Joshua Tree may be from 'Columbia' KESQ - Channel 3 News February 6, 2003 A small piece of metal discovered in the high desert may be part of the space shuttle Columbia. [Image] Photo of suspected shuttle debris The path the shuttle took on its failed journey home carried it well north of the Coachella Valley and the Joshua Tree area, but officials say it is possible that debris could have fallen in the southland. There have been several additional reports of debris found in northern California. A 4 inch by 4 inch piece of metal is at the center of all the attention, and is now believed to be part of the space shuttle Columbia. "We described it to NASA over the phone and from what they say it's probably from the shuttle," said San Bernardino Sheriffs spokesman Chip Patterson in a press conference on Wednesday morning. No word yet on exactly what this piece of metal is. But NASA told the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department it may have been part of a camera attached to the shuttle. The sheriffs department will keep the piece of metal until NASA can come to Joshua Tree to inspect it, but no one's sure when that will be. Sheriff's deputies also said NASA is organizing teams to look for shuttle debris in California. All this started when Bob Beggs spotted a shiny piece of metal in his driveway Saturday afternoon. "I thought it was a piece of trash that had blown in," he says. But after closer inspection, Bob realized it was much more than a piece of trash from the desert. He says it was hot to the touch. "It was obvious that at one point it was really hot." Bob says he's overwhelmed by all the attention. But he's glad to help and hopes this piece of the puzzle will help solve the tragic Columbia mystery. "I sure hope that it is a piece of the shuttle and it'll help 'em out, figure out what happened. That's the best outcome." As investigators try to piece together the trail of debris, NASA officials are learning more about what may have caused the Columbia tragedy. NASA engineers are saying that a problem during lift off is probably not the root cause of the Columbia loss. Investigators have focused on a piece of tank insulation that struck Columbia's wing 80 seconds after lift-off. But today officials are saying there must be another reason for the accident. A spokesperson said they haven't focused on any particular theory as to what caused the shuttle's breakup, but they are looking into why there was a sharp rise in temperature in one of the wings before the shuttle disintegrated. ______________________________________________ Meteorite-list mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
