NASA Releases E-Mail to Doomed Shuttle Crew
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Shuttle Columbia commander Rick Husband and pilot William McCool knew that insulating foam hit the craft after liftoff, but were told it was "not even worth mentioning," according to an e-mail released on Monday.
Investigators have said the foam strike seconds after launch is the most probable cause of the Feb. 1 disaster, in which the craft disintegrated over Texas as it re-entered the atmosphere, killing all seven astronauts aboard.
The message from Steve Stich, a space shuttle flight director at NASA (news - web sites)'s Johnson Space Center, sent on Jan. 23, aimed to prepare Husband and McCool for any possible media questions about the foam strike.
"There is one item that I would like to make you aware of," Stich wrote. "This item is not even worth mentioning other than wanting to make sure that you are not surprised by it in a question from a reporter."
Stich went on to say that photo analysis showed that foam insulation from the shuttle's external fuel tank had fallen onto the shuttle's left wing "in the area of transition from Chine to Main Wing" -- where the shuttle's shape flares from nose to wing -- but was no cause for concern.
"The impact appears to be totally on the lower surface and no particles are seen to traverse over the upper surface of the wing," he wrote. "Experts have reviewed the high-speed photography and there is no concern for RCC or tile damage," he said, referring to the reinforced carbon-carbon material at the wing's leading edge and the shuttle's heat-shielding tiles.
"We have seen this same phenomenon on several other flights and there is absolutely no concern for entry," Stich added.
Husband wrote back, joking about one phrase in the e-mail: "Thanks a million Steve! ... I saw the word Chine below and thought it was 'China.' I guess it's believable that you might meet someone from China by the name of Main Wing :)."
Soon after the accident, NASA released e-mail exchanges among various U.S. space agency engineers, questioning the impact of the foam strike, but agency officials concluded that it posed no threat to the orbiter.
The Columbia Accident Investigation Board, the independent panel investigating the tragedy, has said the foam strike damaged the reinforced carbon-carbon at just the point mentioned in Stich's e-mail, allowing superheated gas to penetrated the shuttle on re-entry, ultimately tearing the ship apart.
The board's final report is due in July. Among other recommendations, board chairman Harold Gehman has said the panel will urge that NASA find a way to repair shuttle damage while in orbit and to rescue the crew. |
