This Echo is READ ONLY !   NO Un-Authorized Messages Please!
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Glenn Mahone/Bob Jacobs
Headquarters, Washington           Feb. 4, 2003
(Phone: 202/358-1600)

Eileen Hawley
Johnson Space Center, Houston
(Phone: 281/481-5111)

Dwayne Brown
Lufkin Command Center
Lufkin, Texas
(Phone: 936/699-1019)

RELEASE: 03-047

SPACE SHUTTLE ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION BOARD CHAIR 
TOURS RECOVERY AREA

     The following is a statement from retired Admiral Harold W. 
Gehman, Jr., who chairs the independent Space Shuttle Accident 
Investigation Board. Admiral Gehman toured the recovery area today 
with other members of the investigative panel.

"The purpose of our visit here today is to get out and look at some of 
the debris recovery area. This makes the accident more personal to us 
and prevents it from becoming an abstract event.

"We're not going to solve this today. We're here to see what the 
debris looks like and to get a sense of it personally.

"There are over 20 investigatory teams working on the various aspects 
of the Columbia accident. The board will take supervisory authority 
over all these activities.

"I'd like to compliment the many agencies involved in this effort. As 
you know, FEMA is in charge of the recovery effort, and our hats are 
off to the wonderful work they are doing.

"We have no timetable, but we have two main responsibilities here. One 
is to future astronauts, who need to know we've done everything 
possible to make it safe for them to fly. The other is to the three 
people currently in orbit on the International Space Station, who need 
to have the Shuttle program fly as soon as possible."

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