spacetoday.net: NASA handing over Columbia investigation to independent panel

Posted: Fri, Feb 7, 2003, 2:39 PM ET (1939 GMT)
NASA is in the process of transferring control of the investigation of the loss of space shuttle Columbia to an independent review board, but has agreed to make some revisions to the board to address Congressional criticism. The investigation had been handled to date by an internal NASA panel, but an independent board, created as a contingency for such events, was activated shortly after the accident and arrived in Houston Thursday to assume control of the investigation. The independent board is chaired by retired Navy admiral Harold Gehman, who also led the board the investigated the terrorist bombing of the destroyer USS Cole in October 2000. On Thursday several Democratic members of Congress expressed concern about the independence of Gehman’s board, noting that NASA had chosen all its members. To address those concerns, NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe said late Thursday that revisions to charter of the independent board had been made, allowing Gehman to add additional members not selected by or associated with NASA, if he so chooses. O’Keefe also said that he will appear before a joint Congressional hearing on the Columbia accident investigation on the morning of Wednesday, February 12.