WASHINGTON - NASA and the Bush administration stress that terrorism almost certainly played no role in the destruction Saturday of the space shuttle Columbia high over Texas.
All data indicate structural failures, and the flight details rule out the use of even the most sophisticated weapons.
‘’There are no indications that this mishap was caused by anyone or anything on the ground,’’ said NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe.
Columbia broke apart about 200,000 feet above the earth traveling at more than 13,000 mph (20.9 times the speed of sound). No known weapon - short of an intercontinental ballistic missile - could take out a target at that altitude and speed, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and weapons experts.
Columbia was carrying Israel’s first-ever astronaut, air force pilot Ilan Ramon. Because of escalating tensions between Israel and the Arab world, Columbia’s launch had extremely tight security.
Terrorists have attempted to shoot down airliners with shoulder-launched missiles, most notably Israeli airline Arkia Airlines carrying 260 passengers and 10 crew leaving Kenya in November.
Those weapons are only capable of reaching about 15,000 feet and cannot attain speeds even close to 13,000 mph.
All analysis Saturday focused on mechanisms that might have failed. NASA officials discussed possible failure of the heat shield tiles or something that might have compromised them, stressing their investigation has just begun.
It took almost three years to complete the investigation into the space shuttle Challenger explosion less than two minutes after launch Jan. 28, 1986.