Australian astronomer's 'extraordinary account' of mishap
An Australian astronomer in California could be a key eyewitness to solving the mystery of today's space shuttle disaster.
Anthony Beasley, an Australian working at an observatory north of Los Angeles, said he saw what could be tiles falling off the Columbia as it flew over California and on its way to the scheduled landing in Florida.
Most video footage and eyewitness reports of the shuttle breaking up came from witnesses in the central US state of Texas.
If Beasley is correct, it indicates the shuttle began to disintegrate on the west coast above California.
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