Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) Chairman Adm Harold Gehman addresses a public hearing earlier this year. [CAIB Photo by Rick Stiles 2003]
NEWINGTON, CT, May 8, 2003--The space shuttle Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) has released what it's calling "a working scenario" to explain the February 1 tragedy that claimed the lives of seven astronauts--three of them Amateur Radio licensees. Preliminary findings, based on three months of "intense investigation," suggest that just over a minute into the January 16 launch, a piece of foam insulation from the shuttle's external fuel tank struck and damaged the lower left wing reinforced carbon-carbon (RCC) panels. The CAIB says its evidence indicates that a breach in the same area of the left wing allowed hot gases to flow into the wing during re-entry into Earth's atmosphere, eventually leading to the spacecraft's destruction.
Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) Chairman Adm Harold Gehman addresses a public hearing earlier this year. [CAIB Photo by Rick Stiles 2003] |
"The CAIB is continuing testing and analyses to refine the working scenario," NASA said. The independent investigation board--headed by retired US Navy Adm Harold Gehman--will issue its final report this summer. Gehman told reporters this week that his panel has been careful not to say that the piece of insulation knocked a hole in the leading edge of the orbiter's wing "because we can't prove it."
In an effort to pin down that probability, investigators at Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio will use a gas-fired cannon to shoot pieces of insulating foam at actual shuttle RCC and insulating tile components. Other tests will attempt to duplicate or explain the orbiter's movements as well as reported temperature increases in the left wing and wheel well. Forensic testing and analysis of significant recovered debris also will continue.
Lost in the February 1 disaster were Columbia Commander Rick Husband; Pilot Willie McCool; Mission Specialists Kalpana "KC" Chawla, KD5ESI; David Brown, KC5ZTC; Laurel Clark, KC5ZSU; and Michael Anderson; and Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon--an Israeli astronaut.
The investigating panel last month suggested that NASA use scanning technology to inspect the RCC leading wing edges of shuttles before flight. The board also suggested NASA photograph the shuttles while on orbit using high-power telescopes to determine if problems exist.
 The seven STS-107 crew prior to departure: (L-R, front to back): Willie McCool; Rick Husband; KC Chawla, KD5EDS; Laurel Clark, KC5ZSU; Ilan Ramon; Michael Anderson; and David Brown, KC5ZTC. [NASA Photo] |
The Columbia started to break up over the southwestern US as it entered the earth's atmosphere on the return leg of its 16-day science mission. No problems were noted while the shuttle was on orbit, although post-flight evaluation of Air Force Space Command radar tracking data indicated an object in the vicinity of the orbiter on its second day in space that later reentered the atmosphere. The CAIB said in its preliminary findings that its analysis of the object essentially ruled out everything else but a piece of an RCC seal or panel. "However, there is no conclusive evidence that either of these items was the object that departed the orbiter," the report added.
Many Amateur Radio volunteers provided communication support during the early days of the shuttle debris recovery effort. NASA and Amateur Radio have a longstanding relationship through the Shuttle Amateur Radio EXperiment (SAREX) and Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) programs.
The Columbia Recovery Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston now manages shuttle debris recovery. The Federal Emergency Management Agency handed off control of the recovery operations to NASA on April 30. As of May 5, searchers had recovered more than 82,500 pieces of debris--84,800 pounds--or almost 40 percent of the shuttle's total dry weight.
NASA has grounded its entire shuttle fleet, and the Russian Soyuz vehicles are being used to transport crews to and from the International Space Station. Russian Progress rockets will continue to supply the space outpost.
More information is available via the NASA Human Spaceflight Web page.
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