spacetoday.net: CAIB meets with NASA about Columbia investigation

Posted: Fri, Apr 25, 2003, 11:46 AM ET (1546 GMT)
STS-107 patch (NASA)

The Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) met with NASA officials on Thursday to brief them on the status of the investigation into the shuttle accident. The CAIB met with the NASA Accident Investigation Team (NAIT) and received additional evidence that supports "multiple scenarios" that could explain the accident. A piece of foam striking the leading edge of Columbia's left wing remains the leading theory, but CAIB officials said in a statement that more work is needed. The CAIB plans to focus its work on four areas of analysis: aerothermal analysis, foam impact testing, testing of flown reinforced carbon-carbon panels, and metallurgical analysis from debris. The Los Angeles Times reported Friday that investigators have found what they believe is part of a T-seal that may have been damaged in a foam debris impact during launch. Part of that T-Seal appears to have broken off from the shuttle one day after launch and burned up in the atmosphere; investigators think that the piece found in central Texas may have remained in place on the shuttle. Additional analysis is planned to determine the nature of the debris and whether it could provide new data for the investigation.