The Wall Street Journal March 17, 2003
NASA Assembles Team to Get Shuttle Into Orbit by Autumn
By Leila Abboud
WASHINGTON -- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, eager to get the space shuttle flying again as early as this fall, is putting together a team to make necessary changes to the orbiter and the shuttle program immediately after the investigation into the Columbia disaster closes.
In a memo last week to NASA officials, William F. Readdy, associate administrator for space flight, ordered up a team to implement the changes as soon as the Columbia inquiry made its recommendations. The shuttle program, he wrote, "shall plan for corrective actions and reviews which support a launch opportunity as early as the fall of 2003."
The announcement indicated NASA's eagerness to get the shuttle up again, and highlighted how much the aftermath of this disaster differs from that of the Challenger in 1986. Back then, the agency took a much more cautious approach and did not return to flight for more than two and a half years.
This time around, NASA is under pressure to service the International Space Station. For now, Russian spacecraft are delivering supplies and astronauts to the mammoth lab. But without the shuttle, construction will remain stalled.
NASA also faces political pressure to resume shuttle flights. NASA likely wants to deflect debate in Congress over the future of its marquee program, said John Pike, a space policy expert at globalsecurity .org. "The sooner they start flying, the fewer questions will be asked and have to be answered," he said.
Spokesmen for lawmakers and the investigation board expressed support for the NASA move.
Mr. Readdy directed the team to examine specific issues now being reviewed by the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, including the foam insulation on the external tank and the heat-shielding tiles on the orbiter. Damage to the heat shield has emerged as the leading theory in the investigation. "That's the elephant in the room," said Mr. Readdy at a news briefing on Friday. "We can't ignore those."
Policies on identifying in-flight safety problems would also be reviewed and how those issues are relayed to NASA management. The agency has come under fire from lawmakers and the media recently over whether top NASA officials adequately responded to safety concerns and requests for imaging from mid-level engineers concerned about the Columbia.
Among the other issues to be reviewed are ways to repair tile damage while in orbit, procedures for preparing the spacecraft for flight and safety waivers.
Copyright © 2003, Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
