Stratofox begins search for Debris 6

Initial scouting expedition, April 8-11, 2004

Four Stratofox members went on this trip - Will Galloway AE6EY, Ian Kluft KO6YQ, Justin Rocha KG6SGU and Ben Woodard KG6FNK. Rob Matson also contributed a lot to the planning for this trip, having done the ballistics computations and drawn up the search area we were scouting out.

We were looking at areas in southwestern Utah and southeastern Nevada which may be where "Debris 6" impacted. Debris 6 is the largest piece of debris which was shed over the western states from the space shuttle Columbia. It was shed from the orbiter at Mach 22 over the California/Nevada border immediately following the mysterious flash in Columbia's ionization trail. If it ever is found, it may tell us what that flash was.

This was the itinerary we followed:

For this trip we were just checking out the area for future searches. We did search the area as best we could. But it's too early in the season and we encountered a lot of mud. We were able to check out the terrain for the future search crews and evaluate usability of Amateur "Ham" Radio in the area, which worked very well.

NASA gave up on its western-states ground searches in 2003 after only a few weeks when the flight data recorder was found in Texas. Data recovered from that discovery showed that the orbiter's heat shield was already breached before re-entry. Any debris found in the West would therefore not lead investigators to the root cause of the accident.

NASA did search numerous search boxes in this area with assistance of local officials and volunteers. However, these search boxes were all based on radar data using computer algorithms which were hastily developed following the accident. Though NASA would probably have tried other areas if their searches weren't cancelled only a few weeks after they started. Stratofox is searching a different area which was not on NASA's list, based on ballistics computations by Rob Matson and on eyewitness reports of glowing debris impacting terrain minutes after the orbiter passed, as quoted in the CAIB final crash investigation report. Though Matson's numbers appear credible enough on their own, since Stratofox found a correlation between the two sources that's definitely worth a look.

We hope that readers will understand that, for the time being, Stratofox is not publicizing the exact search area except to say it's in southwestern Utah and southeastern Nevada. This is so that we won't help souvenir hunters who would keep or attempt to sell any debris they find.

If Stratofox finds any shuttle debris, we'll contact both the Sheriff in whichever county it is found and NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. We'll get photographs and GPS coordinates, and then only move it with permission of the proper authorities. Note that shuttle debris in the West is not believed to be toxic like those found in Texas, having departed the orbiter before the hydrazine tanks burst. However, space shuttle debris is still US government property and any action other than to turn it over to the local Sheriff, state police or NASA would not be legal. eBay prohibits sale of shuttle debris for this reason.

This effort was a direct result of discussion at Stratofox's STS-107 photographers & eyewitnesses meeting held on Feb 1, 2004, the first anniversary of the accident. Among the people who participated in this trip, Will Galloway and Ian Kluft were eyewitnesses to Columbia's re-entry, both having viewed it from different locations on Mount Hamilton, east of San Jose, California. Other Columbia eyewitnesses and photographers have also expressed interest in participating in Stratofox's search efforts. Even though NASA and CAIB have officially closed the books on the crash investigation, some NASA contracters have also expressed interest in helping in their spare time. It seems to affect them much the same way as the eyewitnesses.

(Update added 1/31/2005) Stratofox presented a report about the Search for Debris 6 at the second STS-107 photographers & eyewitnesses meeting on January 29, 2005.

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(2048x1360 983K) (500x332 15K) 		Enroute to Utah, the Stratofox team snaps a picture along California Highway 58 of the Edwards AFB exit. This location is about 10 miles east of the town of Mojave, where unknown to us at the time the crew at Scaled Composites were performing SpaceshipOne's Flight 13P to 105,000'. (photo by Ian Kluft KO6YQ)
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(2048x1360 928K) (500x332 15K) 		The clouds get darker as we reach North Las Vegas. (photo by Justin Rocha KG6SGU)
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(2048x1360 896K) (500x332 12K) 		A double rainbow was visible for some distance while leaving Las Vegas to the northeast on I-15. (photo by Justin Rocha KG6SGU)
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(2048x1360 1001K) (500x332 18K) 		St George, Utah (photo by Ian Kluft KO6YQ)
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(2048x1360 1173K) (500x332 8K) 		The storms have only just ended but there's a lot of humidity still in the air. Even small peaks form clouds. (photo by Justin Rocha KG6SGU)
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(2048x1360 734K) (500x332 10K) 		The storms have only just ended but there's a lot of humidity still in the air. Even small peaks form clouds. (photo by Justin Rocha KG6SGU)
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(2048x1360 1232K) (500x332 13K) 		At the campground at Baker Dam Reservoir on Thursday night, the clouds cleared up and Will set up his telescope. (photo by Ian Kluft KO6YQ)
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(2048x1360 2670K) (500x332 42K) 		Friday morning, Ben and Will check out repeater coverage at camp. (photo by Ian Kluft KO6YQ)
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(2048x1360 1573K) (500x332 30K) 		Will turns up the audio for APRS packets from the Ham Radio station aboard the International Space Station as it passes by. Unfortunately, we weren't prepared for the pass and didn't send any packets to it. (photo by Ian Kluft KO6YQ)
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(2048x1360 3279K) (500x332 51K) 		Exploring dirt roads in Utah. (photo by Justin Rocha KG6SGU)
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(2048x1360 3098K) (500x332 49K) 		We're preparing to drop off Ben and Will for a attempt to hike into Stratofox's search area. (photo by Ian Kluft KO6YQ)
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(1470x1163 1588K) (500x396 30K) 		Dixie National Forest (photo by Will Galloway AE6EY)
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(3072x2048 3653K) (500x333 31K) 		This sign shows we were leaving the Colorado River drainage area and entering the Great Basin, where water does not flow out of the basin. (photo by Ian Kluft KO6YQ)
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(3072x2048 3002K) (500x333 24K) 		Upper Enterprise Reservoir is low, but at least not empty any more as it had been during the previous drought years. (photo by Justin Rocha KG6SGU)
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(3072x2048 3749K) (500x333 34K) 		On the road to the rendezvous coordinates to pick up Will and Ben. We encountered a mud puddle in the road so big we had to get out and measure depths with a stick to plan a path through it. (photo by Justin Rocha KG6SGU)
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(3072x2048 4143K) (500x333 35K) 		Going downhill and leaving the high mountains for the day. (photo by Justin Rocha KG6SGU)
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(3072x2048 4274K) (500x333 37K) 		Lower Enterprise Dam and Reservoir (photo by Justin Rocha KG6SGU)
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(3072x2048 2998K) (500x333 25K) 		Enterprise, Utah (photo by Justin Rocha KG6SGU)
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(3072x2048 2190K) (500x333 14K) 		A thunderstorm east of Enterprise dropped a very noticeable shelf cloud around its lower perimeter. (photo by Ian Kluft KO6YQ)
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(2048x1360 1364K) (500x332 22K) 		In Nevada, this is the road into Beaver Dam State Park. We're checking out the camping facilities in the park for possible use by future search crews. (photo by Justin Rocha KG6SGU)
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(2048x3072 930K) (500x750 70K) 		Mud got in the way while checking out this part of Beaver Dam State Park. (photo by Justin Rocha KG6SGU)
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(3072x2048 4715K) (500x333 38K) 		Not far past the last campground, we found this "no trespassing" sign, complete with a mock grave for an "unknown trespasser". (photo by Ian Kluft KO6YQ)
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(3072x2048 4232K) (500x333 30K) 		"Upper" Schroeder Reservoir in Beaver Dam State Park - the reservoir has been extended upstream by two beaver dams. This is apparently a beaver residence. (photo by Justin Rocha KG6SGU)
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(3072x2048 4329K) (500x333 36K) 		Ian takes in the view at Schroeder Reservoir in Beaver Dam State Park (photo by Justin Rocha KG6SGU)
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(3072x2048 3289K) (500x333 24K) 		Schroeder Reservoir in Beaver Dam State Park (photo by Justin Rocha KG6SGU)
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(1139x791 894K) (500x347 23K) 		Main Street in Caliente (photo by Will Galloway AE6EY)
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(2048x1360 1308K) (500x332 20K) 		Putting up camp at Delamar Lake. (photo by Ian Kluft KO6YQ)
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(1170x778 827K) (500x332 17K) 		Sunset at camp on Delamar Lake. The bird in the foreground posed nicely for the picture. (photo by Will Galloway AE6EY)
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(3072x2048 2238K) (500x333 11K) 		Looking to the west at the last bit of sunset. The lake is far in the distance but somewhat enhanced in this view from on top of the truck. (photo by Ian Kluft KO6YQ)
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(3072x2048 1992K) (500x333 20K) 		Camp Stratofox at Delamar Lake on Saturday evening (photo by Ian Kluft KO6YQ)
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(683x454 25K) (500x332 6K) 		A contrast-enhanced version of a nighttime view to the east from Delamar Lake. The city-light glow on the horizon is St George, Utah about 50 miles away. (photo by Ian Kluft KO6YQ and Justin Rocha KG6SGU, contrast enhancement by Rob Matson)
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(3086x2054 11202K) (500x333 259K) 		15-minute exposure of the stars to the north of camp. (photo by Justin Rocha KG6SGU)
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(2048x1360 918K) (500x332 14K) 		Sunday morning at Delamar Lake. Overnight Stratofox's camp site has become lakefront property. (photo by Ian Kluft KO6YQ)
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(3086x2054 8771K) (500x333 224K) 		Sunday morning at Delamar Lake. Overnight Stratofox's camp site has become lakefront property. (photo by Ian Kluft KO6YQ)
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(2048x1360 1235K) (500x332 13K) 		Sunday morning at Delamar Lake. (photo by Ian Kluft KO6YQ)
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(2048x1360 1385K) (500x332 16K) 		Camp Stratofox by the Lake Shore, Sunday morning (photo by Ian Kluft KO6YQ)