Excerpts from Columbia Accident Investigation Board Report,

Volume 1

Published in 2003; available at Columbia Accident Investigation Board

(CAIB) and NASA (Web sites)

On February 1, 2003, the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) was dealt a severe blow. The space shuttle Columbia, carrying a crew of seven, broke up while attempting to reenter Earth's atmosphere after a sixteen-day mission. It was the first major accident since 1986, when the space shuttle Challenger exploded less than two minutes after takeoff, with most of the nation watching on television. The space shuttle program, which had been regarded by many Americans as engaging in "routine" missions, came under intense examination. A thorough investigation was initiated the day following the explosion. The final report, issued on August 26, 2003, faulted NASA for the explosion because the agency had overlooked problems that had been plaguing the aging Columbia for years.

Since its founding...