NASA 'unsafe to manage shuttle in short term', says Columbia report

The investigation into the Columbia shuttle disaster has found that NASA's management system is "unsafe to manage the shuttle system beyond the short term" and that the agency does not have a strong safety culture.

The report by the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) presented its final report on the causes of the February 1 accident to the White House, Congress and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration yesterday.

Among its conclusions, the CAIB report said that while NASA's present Space Shuttle is "not inherently unsafe", a number of mechanical fixes are required to make the Shuttle safer in the short term.

The Board determined that physical and organisational causes played "an equal role" in the Columbia accident - that the NASA organizational culture had as much to do with the accident as the foam that struck the Orbiter on ascent.

The report also notes other significant factors and observations that may help prevent the next accident.

The Board made 29 recommendations in the 248-page final report, including 15 return-to-flight recommendations that should be implemented before the Shuttle Program returns to flight.

Receiving the report, NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe said: "I want to express NASA's appreciation for the Board's report, which is timely, thorough, and direct. The efforts of all concerned with the investigation will help NASA improve the Space Shuttle program, our management processes, and our capability to safely return to flight.

"The findings and recommendations of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board will serve as NASA's blueprint. We have accepted the findings and will comply with the recommendations to the best of our ability. The Board has provided NASA with an important road map, as we determine when we will be 'Fit to Fly' again.

"The Board's efforts to perform a timely and a complete investigation into the technological, engineering, managerial, and human aspects that contributed to the accident are nothing short of heroic in nature. We are grateful for their dedication."

The report, which consists of 11 chapters grouped into three main sections, was the result of a seven-month-long investigation by the CAIB's 13 board members, more than 120 investigators, 400 NASA and contractor employees, and more than 25,000 searchers who recovered Columbia's debris.

Over the next several weeks, the Board expects to publish several additional volumes containing technical documents cited in the report or referenced as part of the investigation, as well as transcripts of the board's public hearings.

(gmcg)