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Special Report: Columbia Investigation Continues

Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart as it reentered Earth's atmosphere high over Texas early on Feb. 1, killing the seven-member crew and thrusting NASA's human space flight program into its largest crisis since the Challenger explosion in 1986. The editors of AviationNow.com and the Aviation Week Group will present coverage and analysis as the investigation continues.

Top stories

  • Gehman: Shuttle Safety Personnel Lack Resources (posted May 15 --read more)
  • NASA's Eroding Safety (posted May 12 --read more)
  • Columbia Panel Develops Hypothesis, Doesn't Yet Blame Foam Hit (posted May 8 --read more)
  • Evidence Grows That NASA May Not Have Learned Lessons (posted April 28 --read more)
  • T-Seal Consistent With Signature Of Columbia Flyaway Object (posted April 23 --read more)
  • Analysis Moves Shuttle Wing 'Strike Zone' Farther Out (posted April 16 --read more)
  • Amid Growing Evidence Of Recurring Foam Problems, Columbia Accident Board Starts Probing The Shuttle Program's Sociology (posted April 10 --read more)
  • Panel: Shuttle Wing Panel May Have Separated In Flight (posted April 2 --read more)
  • Board Hopes Columbia's OEX Recorder Will Offer Clues On The Ship And Her Crew (posted March 31 --read more)
  • Water Damage Probed In Columbia Investigation (posted March 24 --read more)
  • NASA Forming Team To Prepare For Shuttle's Return To Flight (posted March 18 --read more)
  • Columbia Accident Board Refines Failure Scenarios (posted March 14 --read more)
  • Columbia Video Shows Better View Of Debris Impact; Cause Still 'Elusive' (posted March 12 --read more)
  • NASA Begins Effort To Reassess If A Change In Reentry Trajectory Could Have Saved Columbia; Bizarre Thermal Effects Analyzed (posted March 10 --read more)
  • Columbia Board To 'Follow The Heat;' First Public Hearing March 6 (posted March 5 --read more)
  • 'Carbon Snakes' Offer Shuttle Repair (posted March 3 --read more)
  • E-mails at NASA Reveal Problems; O'Keefe Concerned About Board Findings (posted March 3 --read more)
  • NASA Studying Acceleration Of Space Plane, O'Keefe Tells House Science Committee (posted Feb. 28 --read more)
  • Risk Of Burn-Through Raised At NASA In 1988 (posted Feb. 24 --read more)
  • NASA, Partners Nearing Decision On Space Station Strategy, O'Keefe Says (posted Feb. 21 --read more)
  • NASA Releases Initial Requirements For Orbital Space Plane (posted Feb. 20 --read more)
  • Water, Soyuz, Training Drive New ISS Plans (posted Feb. 19 --read more)
  • Growing Evidence Points To Columbia Wing Breach (posted Feb. 14 --read more)
  • NASA To Re-Examine Crew Escape System For Shuttle, O'Keefe Tells Congress (posted Feb. 13 --read more)
  • NASA's O'Keefe Addresses Congress; Releases Transcript From Final Radio Transmission (posted Feb. 12 --read more)
  • NASA Analyzing AF Columbia Photos; Wing Piece Found In Fort Worth (posted Feb. 10 --read more)
  • USAF Imagery Confirms Columbia Wing Damaged (posted Feb. 7 --read more)
  • Recovery Team in California for Possible Wing Debris; Report Warned In 1990 Of Disaster Due To Tile Damage (posted Feb. 5 --read more)
  • Shuttle Disaster Will Renew Interest In Replacement Program, Analysts Say (posted Feb. 4 --read more)
  • Shuttle Tiles Offer Clues; Accident Investigation Board Named (posted Feb. 3 --read more)
  • Structural, Systems Integrity Focus Of Shuttle Probe (posted Feb. 1 -- read more)
  • House Panel To Review NASA's Plans For New Manned Vehicle (posted Feb. 1 -- read more)
  • Columbia's Loss Could Spell Early Return For Station Crew (posted Feb. 1 -- read more)
  • Oldest Orbiter Lost Over Texas On Approach To KSC (posted Feb. 1 -- read more)

    • More news

  • Mission of Science: STS-107, ISS crews launch intense science studies (AWST, Jan. 27)
  • Tight Security: Israeli crewmember spurs strict controls amidst STS-107 launch (AWST, Jan. 20)
  • Safety review: Cracks on Discovery prompt Columbia decision (ARD, Jan. 6)

    • Special links

  • Columbia Accident Investigation Board
  • Columbia Crew Biographies
  • Sean O'Keefe's Statement to Congress
  • Remarks by President Bush at the Memorial Service for Columbia Astronauts
  • Overview of the mission, including crew biographies and descriptions of experiments
  • Columbia (OV-102)
  • Challenger (STA-099, OV-99, lost in 1986)
  • Space Shuttle Basics (How Does It Work?)
  • Shuttle Reference Manual
  • Post-Challenger Shuttle Modifications
  • NASA Acronym List

    • Reports

  • Independent Management And Cost Evaluation (Young Report, Nov. 2001)(pdf) More ...
  • Shuttle Independent Assessment Team (McDonald Report, March 2000) More ...
  • Analysis Of Potential Alternatives To Reduce NASA's Cost Of Human Access To Space (Hawthorne Report, Sept. 1998) More ...
  • Shuttle Management Independent Review Team (Kraft Report, Feb. 1995) (pdf) More ...
  • Presidential Commission On Challenger Accident (Rogers Commission, June 1986) More ...
  • President Nixon's Announcement On Development Of The Shuttle (Jan. 1972) More ...
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