|
USA Columbia Recovery & Investigation Update
The recovered debris is being documented and assessed at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., before being returned to the Kennedy Space Center for reconstruction, analysis and final disposition. More than 150 USA employees, experts in Shuttle systems and hardware, are on the scene in Louisiana assisting investigators with identification and analysis of debris. NASA recovery teams are also responding to reports of possible debris found throughout the west, the southwest and the Gulf Coast. In his afternoon briefing, Shuttle Program Manager Ron Dittemore described the pace of the inquiry and data and debris collection as "fast and furious". He said the Shuttle program would support Admiral Gehman's Board "in any way we can." Dittemore said more than 1000 pieces of Shuttle debris have been recovered. Items found as far west as California are currently being analyzed to see whether they are from Columbia. As of today, no debris found west of Fort Worth, Texas has been positively identified as coming from Columbia. Dittemore said bad weather in the west today hampered efforts to recover additional debris. The forecast calls for improving conditions by the weekend. A memorial ceremony for Columbia's astronauts was held at the Kennedy Space Center today. Florida Governor Jeb Bush, Administrator O'Keefe and former astronaut Robert Crippen, Columbia's first pilot on its maiden flight, STS-1, on April 12, 1981, attended. O'Keefe is scheduled to appear before a joint hearing of the Senate and House Science Committees, Wednesday, Feb. 12, to provide details of the progress of the investigation. United Space Alliance continues to give NASA its full support in the recovery and investigation, including dozens of engineers providing technical data and fault-tree analysis support. In a recent memo to USA employees, CEO Russ Turner and COO Mike McCulley exhorted employees who may have information relevant to the ongoing recovery and investigation to come forward.
|