[PHX-Skywarn] A new use for Skywarn ????

[Allen Sklar]

Hello All...
A new use for Skywarn ??????
Via the ARRL
Allen Sklar

 -------- Original Message --------
Subject: ARLB012 Texas amateurs aid in shuttle debris recovery, cataloging
From: "ARRL Web site" <memberlist@www.arrl.org>
Date: Mon, February 3, 2003 15:12
To: ajsklar@w7as.com

SB QST @ ARL $ARLB012
ARLB012 Texas amateurs aid in shuttle debris recovery, cataloging

ZCZC AG12
QST de W1AW
ARRL Bulletin 12  ARLB012
>From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT  February 3, 2003
To all radio amateurs

SB QST ARL ARLB012
ARLB012 Texas amateurs aid in shuttle debris recovery, cataloging

Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and SKYWARN volunteers in
Nacogdoches, Texas, have been assisting local emergency management officials and
NASA to locate and catalog debris from the Columbia
shuttle. The shuttle and its crew of seven, including three hams,
were lost over Texas February 1.

ARES and SKYWARN volunteers from the Nacogdoches Amateur Radio Club have been
surveying the area in and around Nacogdoches looking for shuttle debris. Public
Information Officer Tim Lewallen, KD5ING, of the Nacogdoches Amateur Radio Club
said amateurs have been
accompanying officials from both NASA and the EPA to expedite the
search and clean up of area schools. Texas officials have cancelled school in most
of East Texas because of fears that shuttle debris
could pose a health hazard.

''Usually we just get the coordinates, take a photo and move on to the next site,''
Lewallen said, ''and someone from NASA will come
along and pick up the piece later.''

He said the club had additional volunteers lined up for duty over
the next few days, with amateurs coming from East Texas, Houston and Dallas. The
ARES and SKYWARN volunteers have been working with
emergency officials from Nacogdoches County, Texas Rangers, NASA,
Texas Department of Public Safety, EPA and the National Guard.

The ARES and SKYWARN volunteers also were following up on
NASA-provided telemetry and radar information that indicates where debris might be
found, Lewallen said. The search area includes
densely forested areas. NASA has requested that those encountering debris avoid any
contact with it and cautioned that persons found
with stolen accident debris will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

The Columbia crew, headed by Commander Rick Husband, included Pilot Willie McCool
and Mission Specialists Kalpana ''KC'' Chawla, KD5ESI; David Brown, KC5ZTC; Laurel
Clark, KC5ZSU, Michael Anderson, and
Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon.
NNNN
/EX