Memorial emblem for the three U.S. human space flight accidents. Translation: "To The Stars, Through Adversity – Always Exploring"

The Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) was convened by NASA to investigate the destruction of the Space Shuttle Columbia upon atmospheric re-entry on February 1, 2003. In addition to determining the cause of the accident, the panel also recommended changes that should be made to increase the safety of future shuttle flights. The CAIB released its final report on August 26, 2003. Memorial Emblem, Apollo 1, Challenger, Columbia Sorce: Columbia Accident Investigation Board Report. ... Memorial Emblem, Apollo 1, Challenger, Columbia Sorce: Columbia Accident Investigation Board Report. ... The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an agency of the United States federal government, responsible for the nations public space program. ... The Space Shuttle Columbia disaster occurred on February 1, 2003, when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas during re-entry into the Earths atmosphere, shortly before concluding its 28th mission, STS-107. ... Space Shuttle Columbia (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-102) was the first spaceworthy space shuttle in NASAs orbital fleet. ... February 1 is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 26 is the 238th day of the year (239th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Major findings

The board found both the immediate physical cause of the accident and also what it called organizational causes.

Immediate cause of the accident

82 seconds after launch a large piece of foam insulating material from the external tank broke free and struck the leading edge of the shuttle's left wing, damaging the protective carbon heat shielding panels. This damage allowed super-heated gases to enter the wing structure during re-entry into the earth's atmosphere and caused the destruction of the Columbia.

Organizational cause of the accident

The problem of debris shedding from the external tank was well known and had caused shuttle damage on every prior shuttle flight. The damage was usually, but not always, minor. Over time, management gained confidence that it was an acceptable risk. The board found that this should not have happened.

The shuttle organization is very large, and decision makers cannot embody all information. Organizational mechanisms are responsible for properly informing and guiding decision makers. The report placed equal weight on organizational failings as the cause of the accident.

Echoes of Challenger

One board member, Dr. Sally Ride, served on both the CAIB panel and Rogers Commission and noted remarkable similarities between the two tragedies; why was the shuttle allowed to continue to fly with known problems that were, eventually, catastrophic. For further information about Challengers mission and crew, see STS-51-L. The iconic image of Space Shuttle Challengers smoke plume after its breakup 73 seconds after launch. ... Sally Kristen Ride (born May 26, 1951) is an American former astronaut who in 1983 became the first American woman to reach outer space. ... The Rogers Commission Report was created by a Presidential Commission charged to investigate the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion on its 10th mission, STS-51-L. The comprehensive 225-page report documented the technical and managerial factors that contributed to the accident. ...

Since no machine is perfect, the problem comes down to identifying which known problems are an acceptable risk and which are not. In these two examples, shedding foam and failing o-rings, the organization failed to predict the seriousness of the problem.

To illustrate the organizational problems of safety awareness, Richard Feynman attached a personal appendix to the Rogers Commission Report. It is equally relevant to the CAIB report. In it he says; Richard Phillips Feynman (May 11, 1918 – February 15, 1988; IPA: ) was an American physicist known for expanding the theory of quantum electrodynamics, the physics of the superfluidity of supercooled liquid helium, and particle theory. ...

"It appears that there are enormous differences of opinion as to the probability of a failure with loss of vehicle and of human life. The estimates range from roughly 1 in 100 to 1 in 100,000. The higher figures come from the working engineers, and the very low figures from management. What are the causes and consequences of this lack of agreement? … we could properly ask "What is the cause of management's fantastic faith in the machinery?"

The CAIB report found these same differences of perception, and that they contributed to the accident. Both reports also examined the ability of schedule pressures to influence safety related design decisions.

Board recommendations

The board made 29 specific recommendations to NASA to improve the safety of future shuttle flights. These recommendations include:

• Foam from external tank should not break free
• Better pre-flight inspection routines
• Increase quality of images available of shuttle during ascent and on-flight
• Recertify all shuttle components by the year 2010
• Establish an independent Technical Engineering Authority that is responsible for technical requirements and all waivers to them, and will build a disciplined, systematic approach to identifying, analyzing, and controlling hazards throughout the life cycle of the Shuttle System.

In the meantime, only two further Space Shuttle missions are allowed to be flown before the implementation of these recommendations. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Shuttle program since the CAIB report

After the CAIB report came out, NASA implemented all recommended changes and flew its first post-Columbia mission in 2005. As part of the CAIB recommendations, the Shuttle now carries a 50-foot inspection boom attached to the robot arm, which is used within 24 hours of launch to check the orbiter for damage. As all but one of the post-Columbia missions are concentrated on the International Space Station, primarily to provide a "safe haven" in the event an orbiter is damaged beyond the normal repair methods, NASA (smarting from a critical report that the STS-107 crew could have been rescued using the Space Shuttle Atlantis) has implemented a STS-3xx contingency mission program that can launch a rescue orbiter on short notice, similar to the Skylab Rescue that was planned (but not implemented) during the Skylab 3 mission. 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... “ISS” redirects here. ... Space Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-104) is one of the fleet of space shuttles belonging to the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). ... Space shuttle missions designated STS-3xx (officially called Launch On Need missions) are rescue missions which would be mounted to rescue the crew of a Space Shuttle if their vehicle was damaged and deemed unable to make a successful reentry. ... During the second crewed Skylab mission a rescue flight was assembled as a backup contingency. ... Skylab 3 or SL-3 was the second manned mission to Skylab. ...

NASA will retire the Space Shuttle fleet in 2010 after completing both the ISS and a maintenance mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. The Shuttle's replacement, Orion, will consist of an Apollo-derived spacecraft launched on the Ares I rocket, which will use a Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster as its first stage. Orion will not face the dangers of either an O-ring failure (due to the presence of a Launch Escape System) or shedding foam (as the spacecraft will be launched in a stack configuration). In addition to ferrying crews to the ISS, the Orion spacecraft will (as part of Project Constellation) allow NASA to return to the Moon using current technologies and proven techniques. NASAs Space Shuttle, officially called Space Transportation System (STS), is the United States governments current manned launch vehicle. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is a telescope in orbit around the Earth, named after astronomer Edwin Hubble. ... Orion is a spacecraft currently under development by the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). ... The Command/Service Module (CSM) was a spacecraft built for NASA by North American Aviation. ... This article is about the Ares I launch vehicle. ... The Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) is the rocket that provides 83% of liftoff thrust for the Space Shuttle. ... Apollo LES Pad Abort test A Launch Escape System (LES) is a top-mounted rocket connected to the crew module of a crewed spacecraft and used to quickly separate and launch the crew module away from the rest of the rocket in the case of an emergency. ... Project Constellation is NASAs current plan for space exploration. ...

Board members

Chairman of the board

• Admiral Hal Gehman, USN

Board members The United States Navy, also known as the USN or the U.S. Navy, is a branch of the United States armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations. ...

• Rear Admiral Stephen Turcotte, Commander, Naval Safety Center
• Maj. General John Barry, Director, Plans and Programs, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command
• Maj. General Kenneth W. Hess, Commander, Air Force Safety Center
• Dr. James N. Hallock, Chief, Aviation Safety Division, U.S. Department of Transportation, Volpe Center
• Mr. Steven B. Wallace, Director of Accident Investigation, Federal Aviation Administration
• Brig. General Duane Deal, Commander, 21st Space Wing, United States Air Force
• Mr. Scott Hubbard, Director, NASA Ames Research Center
• Mr. Roger E. Tetrault, Retired Chairman, McDermott International, Inc.
• Dr. Sheila E. Widnall, Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Engineering Systems, MIT
• Dr. Douglas D. Osheroff, Professor of Physics and Applied Physics, Stanford University
• Dr. Sally Ride, Professor of Space Science, University of California, San Diego
• Dr. John Logsdon, Director of the Space Policy Institute, George Washington University

Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) was created July 1, 1992 through the reorganization of Air Force Logistics Command and Air Force Systems Command. ... The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) is a Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transport. ... “FAA” redirects here. ... Seal of the Air Force. ... Aerial View of Moffett Field and NASA Ames Research Center. ... Sheila E. Widnall (official portrait) Institute Professor Sheila Evans Widnall is a American aerospace researcher and educator. ... The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private, coeducational research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. ... Douglas Dean Osheroff (born August 1, 1945) is a American physicist. ... Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly known as Stanford University (or simply Stanford), is a private university located approximately 37 miles (60 kilometers) southeast of San Francisco and approximately 20 miles northwest of San José in Stanford, California. ... Sally Kristen Ride (born May 26, 1951) is an American former astronaut who in 1983 became the first American woman to reach outer space. ... The University of California, San Diego (popularly known as UCSD, or sometimes UC San Diego) is a public, coeducational research university located in La Jolla, a seaside resort community of San Diego, California. ... John Logsdon is chairman of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University. ...   The George Washington University (GWU), or informally, G.W., is a private, coeducational, non-sectarian university located in Washington, D.C.. Founded in 1821 as the Columbian College, the university has since developed into a leading educational and research institution. ...

Board support

• Ex-Officio Member: Lt. Col. Michael J. Bloomfield, NASA Chief Astronaut Instructor
• Executive Secretary: Mr. Theron Bradley, Jr., NASA Chief Engineer

Partial list of additional investigators and CAIB support staff

• Col. Jack Anthony
• Dr. James P. Bagian
• Lt. Col. Richard J. Burgess
• Thomas L. Carter
• Dr. Dwayne A. Day
• Major Tracy Dillinger
• Thomas L. Foster
• CDR Mike Francis
• Howard E. Goldstein
• Lt. Col Patrick A. Goodman
• Ronald K. Gress
• Thomas Haueter
• Dr. Daniel Heimerdinger
• Dennis R. Jenkins
• Christopher Kirchhoff
• Dr. Gregory T. A. Kovacs
• John F. Lehman
• Jim Mosquera
• Gary Olson
• Gregory Phillips
• David B. Pye
• Lester A. Reingold
• Donald J. Rigali
• Dr. James. W. Smiley
• G. Mark Tanner
• Lt. Col. Wade J. Thompson
• Bob Vallaster
• Lt. Col. Donald J. White
• Dr. Paul D. Wilde
• LCDR Johnny R. Wolfe Jr.

James P. Bagian, M.D., P.E. was a NASA astronaut born February 22, 1952, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ...

External links

• Columbia Accident Investigation Board homepage
• CAIB hearing transcripts
• NASA homepage

References

• CAIB panel and staff information retrieved Feb. 15, 2004 from http://www.caib.us/board_members/default.html