[TCARC-NTX] Fw: ARLB012 Texas amateurs aid in shuttle debris recovery, cataloging

[David Johnson]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "W1AW Mailing List" <w1aw-list-request@listserv.arrl.org>
To: <kb5ylg@yahoo.com>
Cc: <W1AW List:>
Sent: Monday, February 03, 2003 4:12 PM
Subject: ARLB012 Texas amateurs aid in shuttle debris recovery, cataloging


> 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