KU rally falls short
SINCE 1889
Iowa State uses free throws to hold off Jayhawks. See page 13.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 29, 1986, VOL. 96, NO. 85 (USPS 650-640)
Clouds
Details page 3
No survivors in fiery shuttle blast
United Press International
CAPE CANAVERAL. Fla — The shuttle Challenger exploded in a boiling ball of flame 72 seconds after blastoff yesterday, killing teacher Christa McAuliffe and her six crewmates in the worst space tragedy since man began reaching for the stars 25 years ago.
Ships, planes and helicopters rushed to a vast area 50 miles off the Florida coast where flaming debris rained down for half an hour after the mighty explosion, but all they found were parts of Challenger's booster rockets.
"I regret that I have to report that based on very preliminary searches of the ocean where Challenger impacted this morning, these searches have not revealed any evidence that the crew of the Challenger survived," said Jesse Moore, chief of the shuttle program, five hours after the explosion.
See related stories p. 3.
As night fell over the coast in a cloudless pink sunset, planes and helicopters scouring a huge area 58 miles wide by 115 miles long were recalled to begin their search patterns again at first light. The ships in the search continued patrolling through the night.
An Air Force officer said the largest piece of debris seen so far was only 2 feet wide and 5 to 10 feet long
"The first thing we wanted to do was pick up survivors," Air Force spokesman Col. John Shults said about seven hours after the explosion. "That's now probably out of the question. Now we want to pick up the debris. Some of it may be covered
with toxic chemicals, so we're warning
villiants not to pick anything up."
Challenger was hurting toward space at nearly 2,000 mph, propelled by two solid-fuel booster rockets and its three main hydrogen-burning engines, when disaster struck.
it was 10 miles high when it erupted into flames. The earth-shaking roar of blastoff had subsided and the majestic contrail following Challenger into space had turned into a serpent of smoke and fire writhing across the sky.
Speculation about what caused the craft to explode focused primarily on the craft's large fuel tank. The massive tank contained 525,000 gallons of highly explosive liquid hydrogen fuel that feeds the three main-shuttle engines during liftoff and ascent.
The first sign of trouble was when a flame appeared near the base of the tank, and then the explosion appeared to occur. But NASA officials declined to discuss whether a problem in a fuel line or with the fuel tank may have been to blame.
On board the Challenger were commander Francis "Dick" Scoobe, 46; co-pilot Michael Smith, 40; Judith Resnik, 36; Ellison Onizuka, 39; Ronald McNair, 35; satellite engineer gregory Onizuka, 41; and McAuliffe, the 37-year-old Concord, N.H., social studies teacher picked from 11,000 candidates to be the first private citizen in space. The crewmembers were the first Americans to die on a mission into space.
Moore said the shuttle program, which had hoped to launch a record 15 missions in 1986, had been
See SHUTTLE, p. 5, col. 1
10:39:13: Twin fireballs merge into mass of flames that engulfs Challenger. A single crackling noise, apparently the main explosion, is heard.
Taminv Stude/KANSAN
10:39:09. Engines throttled to
104 percent. Scoobe's last
transmission: "Challenger. Go at
throttle up."
10:38:45; Harris: "Three engines running normally. Three good fuel cells."
10:38:07.Challenger rolls on its back in planned manuever. Challenger commander Francis "Dick" Scobie "Houston, Challenger, Roll program."
10:38 a.m. m:Hugh Harris, launch control spokesman：“Litoff. Litoff
the shuttle mission, and it has cleared the tower.”
H
More than 30 people gather in the TV room of the Kansas Union to watch the news of the space shuttle disaster. The room was silent yesterday as people watched the replays of the explosion in disbelief.
CHALLENGER/Chronology
KU astronauts-to-be sustain career hopes despite crash
Bv Sandra Crider
Staff writer
The U.S. and KU flags flying near the Military Science Building were lowered to half-staff yesterday. Televisions appeared in classrooms across campus and stunned students and faculty watched reports of the explosion of space shuttle Challenger.
Litsa said he planned to discuss the accident with his students at a leadership seminar yesterday afternoon.
Lt. Col. Phillip Litts, commander of KU's Air Force ROTC, said he ordered the flings to be lowered because one of the astronauts killed aboard the shuttle was an Air Force officer.
"It's sad, but I will point out to them that our line of work is a
Bill Skeet/KANSAN
Students and faculty brought televisions and radios to classes to listen to news about the explosion. The TV room in the Kansas Union, usually occupied by faithful soap opera fans, was filled with people watching the Challenger reports.
Kendra McIntosh, Mission junior, said she would continue to set her sights on the space program, realizing that risks were part of the
David Bertrand, Denver freshman,
said, "I figured in spite of all the
delays and problems during flights,
they've been lucky in take-offs and
landings."
"I would use this to tell them that, in our work, there's a rule: Never go to bed mad. Don't wait to solve problems in your relationships because you may not have the chance to kiss and make up."
dangerous one, he said. "Accidents
hamper, and it doesn't get any easier.
Two KU students who are aspiring astronauts said yesterday's incident would not deter them from pursuing a career in space travel.
John Dardess, professor of history, said "It will take a while before people forget about it. It's a shock."
Doug Decker. Shawnee senior, also said he refused to be deterred from his goal of becoming an astronaut.
Steven Laham, Wichita freshman,
said he had forgotten about the
launch of the shuttle because of all
the delays.
Laham said, "I was so stunned. It almost brought tears."
"I don't see how it could have happened because they're so cautious," he said.
Crew loss is mourned by Reagan
WASHINGTON — President Reagan scrapped his State of the Union speech yesterday to mourn the crew of the shuttle Challenger as fallen heroes and he promised, "We'll continue our quest in space. Nothing ends here."
"The future doesn't belong to the faint-hearted. It belongs to the brave." Reagan said in a nationally televised late-aftermon address from the Oval Office less than six hours after the spacecraft blew up. "The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future," and we'll continue to follow."
Leading the nation in mourning,
Reagan postponed his fifth State of
the Union address to Congress for a
week. Instead he spoke somberly
about the explosion which shattered
Challenger and left no evidence of
survivors among the its seven-
member crew — including the first
teacher in space, Christa McAuliffe.
Reagan, for whom yesterday was to have kicked off an aggressive weeklong campaign to promote his political agenda for 1986, said the day instead had been transformed into one "of mourning and remembering.
"Nancy and I are pained to the core by the tragedy of the shuttle Challenger. We know we share this pain with all of the people of this country. This is truly a national loss."
United Press International
About nine hours before his scheduled appearance before Congress to paint a bright future for America, Reagan watched the worst disaster in the history of the manned space program in what an aide described as "stunned silence."
In response to the shuttle catastrophe Reagan sent Vice President George Bush to Cape Canaveral, Fla., to convey his "personal concern" to relatives of the Challenger crew, press secretary Larry Speakes said.
Former astronaut says travel will continue
By Abbie Jones
Staff writer
Stan White
The seven members of the space shuttle Challenger never knew what hit them, former astronaut and KU graduate, Ron Evans, said yesterday.
Evans knows the feeling of rocketing into space. He was aboard Apollo 17 during its last flight to the moon in December 1972. *
"They were totally excited," Evans said. "They were thrilled with the acceleration. I don't believe they had any indication anything was wrong."
The retired Navy captain arrived in Topeka yesterday to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the state. Astronauts Steve Hawley and Joe Engle, also KU graduates, arrived in Topeka for the celebration, but returned to Johnson Space Center in Houston after they heard about the
Challenger explosion.
Chairman, Deputy
Members of Gov. John Carlin's
staff were the first to tell Evans
about the shuttle accident.
"It's a complete shock," he said.
"It's a national tragedy."
Evans said the National Aeronautics and Space Administration would conduct investigations until they determined the cause.
Source: United Press International
"We still don't know what happened," he said. "I know NASA is going
Evans graduated from the University of Kansas in 1955 with a degree in electrical engineering. He was a member of the Navy ROTC for 21 years, and an astronaut for 11 of those years.
to do their utmost to find out what happened."
He speaks at conventions across the country and is marketing a videotape that tells of his experience as an astronaut.
Fuel is transferred from KU building
By Grant W. Butler
Staff writer
"Everything is going according to schedule," said Harold Rosson, the coordinator for the reactor dismantling process. "The transfer has gone smoothly, with no complications."
Uranium fuel, used to power the KU nuclear reactor, was successfully removed yesterday, according to a KU official.
Larry Buettner, Clearwater, Fla., senior, said he was stopped by police when he tried to enter the center for his 9:30 a.m. radiation biophysics class.
Rosson said the fuel was placed in a fire-shielded cask, which was 8 feet tall, 5 feet in diameter and weighed 40,000 pounds. The cask was designed to withstand a 30-foot drop without any damage, he said.
"I told them that I had a class, and they said 'No one is going in or out of this building. That's all I can tell you. Your class has been cancelled for today.' " he said.
yesterday. The Reeves Center was closed while the fuel was being burned. KU police surrounded the building to keep the area secure and all classes held in the center were cancelled.
A smaller transfer cask was lowered into the water of the reactor, and the 16 units of used uranium were placed in the cask one by one, he said. They were then lifted with an overhead crane into the shipping cask.
Two units of unused fuel also were transferred yesterday. The fuel is not dangerous, Rosson said.
said.
Rosson said the used fuel will be transported by the U.S. Department of Energy to a reprocessing plant in Savannah River, S.C. The unused fuel will be transferred in two 55-ton drums, which have been welded shut, to Oak Ridge, Tenn.
shut, to Oak Ridge, Tenn.
The Nuclear Reactor Center was used at KU from
See NUCLEAR, p. 5, col. 1
Paul Goodman/KANSAN
Bob Bearse, associate vice chancellor for research, graduate studies and public service, is jubilant as the transfer cask holding uranium from the KU nuclear reactr is moved to the shipping drum. Workers removed the uranium yesterday from the reactor, which was closed in June 1984.
Kansas could lose revenues
Bill may alter terms of residency
By Mark Siebert
TOPEKA - A bill that shortens the residency requirements at Board of Regents schools and provides immediate residency for people who are moved to the state by their employers, was passed by a Kansas House committee yesterday.
and Abbie Jones Staff writers
The House Ways and Means Committee passed the bill on a voice vote, despite opposition from representatives who said the state would lose tuition money if the new standards were enacted.
The bill will now go before the full House for debate.
If passed by the Legislature, the bill would change the residency requirements for students at Regents schools from one year to six months and would allow persons who moved to Kansas for employment purposes, and their families, to pay in-state tuition.
The Regents schools are the six state universities and the Kansas Technical Institute in Salina.
John Allen, director of legislative affairs for the Associated Students of Kansas, said he was optimistic about the bill's chances because a similar bill passed the Senate two years ago but died in a house committee.
“It’s the first time legislation like this has gotten out of the House Ways and Means Committee,” he said. “If it does pass the House, I’m optimistic about it.”
Allen said the changes made it easier for Kansas to attract out-of-state scholars. Out-of-state students
According to Règents figures, the new residency requirement could cost the state $250,000.
A motion to delete the six-month requirement from the bill, made by State Rep. Ed Rolfs, R-Junction City, was defeated. Rolfs said the revenue questions needed to be answered before the committee endorsed the bill.
pay $1,517 a semester, while in-state residents pay $615 a semester.
"The concern is that (the bill) would be a net revenue loss to the state." Allen said. "But the problem is, no one knows how much."
Allen said the loss of out-of-state fees might be made up by students who could apply because of the new tuition requirements.
"I don't see a lot of people being recruited from out of state," Walther said. "I doubt if there are 50 people a year affected by that."
Eric Walther, personnel director of Packer Plastics Inc., 2330 Packer Rd., said his company had hired only one person from out-of-state and the bill would probably have little effect on Packer Plastics.
The other provision of the bill would immediately give residency to people who transferred into the state or were recruited by companies in Kansas. The employer must verify that the employee was transferred or recruited.
John Kruzel, divisional personnel manager for Aeroqup Corporation,
But Walther said the bill would be a "minor plus" for employees with students who wanted to attend the University.
Gustin-Bacon Division, 2901 Lakeview Rd., said a job offer itself would draw people to Kansas, regardless of the out-of-state tuition requirements.
"It would be nice to say that there is some savings up front," Kruzel said, "but it wouldn't be one of the factors for relocating."
The location, the job itself and the company's work ethics are reasons people want to live here, he said.
In Oklahoma and Iowa, if a student enters the state to work, they qualify for in-state tuition. In Nebraska, a student must live in the state for 180 days, and in Colorado the requirement is one year for four-year schools and six months for two-year schools.
In a report last week to the Ways and Means Committee, Allen listed the residency requirements for surrounding states.
An opponent of both changes, State Rep. David Miller, R-Eudora and a member of the committee, said the bill was designed to help urban schools such as Wichita State.
"It opens the door to have any employed student eligible for resident fees," Miller said. "Therefore, a university, for example WSU, located in an urban area, could conceivably have every student eligible."
Six Wichita-area representatives introduced the bill.