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4B
Thursday, February 20, 2003
Investigators reexamine
Columbia explosion
girlsofaggieland.com
By Marcia Dunn
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SPACE CENTER, Houston
— In the days after Columbia’s
destruction, NASA officials
made their case: The foam
couldn’t have caused that kind
of damage. It wasn't ice or
metal that flew off the fuel tank.
The left wing was not breached.
All that — and
more — is back on
the table and under
the microscope,
now that an investi
gation board is call
ing the shots.
In the 2 1/2 weeks
since Columbia shat
tered 38 miles above
Texas, both NASA
managers and board
members have cau
tioned that the inves
tigation is in contin
ual flux, with new
They’re not
going to take
NASA’s word
that everything
is OK. "
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information turning up all the
time. On Wednesday, NASA
said the shuttle’s nose landing
gear was found in the east Texas
piney woods.
But it is the board that has
emphasized that everything is
under consideration, no matter
how seemingly irrelevant or
obscure or unimaginable.
The fact that the accident
investigation board has put
NASA’s discarded theories bad
on the table is “a combination
of being thorough and being
independent,” said NASA's
Steve Nesbitt, who is tem
porarily serving as the board
spokesman.
The 10-member board -
soon to gain a new member or
two — is being scrutinized for
signs of independence because
it was chosen by NASA.
“The board
wants to make sure
every base is cov
ered,” Nesbitt said
Wednesday.
“They're not going
to take NASA’s
word that every
thing is OK in a par
ticular area.”
After first con
sidering damage to
Columbia’s heat-
protecting tiles by
the foam insulation
falling off the
— Steve Nesbit
Investigative Board
spokesman
tank during launch, shuttle pro
gram manager Ron Dittemore
soon ruled it out: “It just does
not make sense to us that a piece
of debris would be the root
cause for the loss of Columbia
and its crew,” said Dittemore.
“There’s got to be another rea
son.” He later softened that. But
now with the board members in
control, the foam appears tobea
central focus.
NEWS IN BRIEF
Governor's reprieves
may be expanded
AUSTIN (AP) - Sen. Rodney
Ellis of Houston filed legisla
tion on Wednesday that would
allow the governor to issue
more than one 30-day reprieve
of executions.
If approved, voters would have
to give approval to the idea
because the constitution only
allows the governor to issue one
reprieve in death penalty cases.
'The governor of the state of
Texas ought to at least have the
power to prevent a person from
being executed when he or she
believes it is prudent," Ellis said.
"We must be sure that when
Texas executes someone it is
because that person is guilty and
eligible to be executed."
Ellis said the legislation would
provide fundamental relomnec
essary to restore confidence//!
the Texas criminal justice syste.
n
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