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STS-107
Status Report #26
Monday, February 10, 2003 - 6 p.m. CST 
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas 

NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe reported today approximately 12,000
pieces of debris from the Space Shuttle Columbia have been collected
along a 500-mile swath between Ft. Worth, Texas, and the
Louisiana-Texas border. The debris is being tagged for identification
and transported to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Fla., for use in
the on-going investigation.

There is no primary or favorite theory as to what caused the Feb. 1
Shuttle accident. Fault-tree analysis and Probability Risk Assessments 
continue to be important tools to ensure no possible cause is 
overlooked. NASA's focus is on helping to determine the cause of the 
accident, finding solutions to the problems, and returning to safe 
flight operations as soon as possible. 

A section of reinforced carbon-carbon from the leading edge of a
Shuttle wing was recovered. It is believed to be from the left wing.
Teams continue to search for and collect debris. The first pieces of
debris are expected to begin the 18-hour journey by truck from
Barksdale AFB to KSC on Tuesday and arrive on Wednesday.

Administrator O'Keefe said that NASA has done its best to be open and
forthcoming with information about the accident investigation, and
that it is time to transition that responsibility to the independent
Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB). NASA will continue to
release information periodically as appropriate as it becomes
available. "We will defer to the CAIB to set the pace of discussions
of how the investigation itself is progressing," O'Keefe said. He
added that the Board will advise NASA when the data and hardware that
has been impounded will be released for continued Shuttle operations.

"We intend to fully support and ensure the Board has independence and
objectivity to proceed as its members feel appropriate," Administrator 
O'Keefe said. "We will defer to the CAIB to set the pace of 
discussions of how the investigation is progressing."

O'Keefe said that the NASA Inspector General has been an observer on
the ground from the beginning, helping to ensure the independence and
objectivity of the CAIB under the terms of the Inspector General Act.

O'Keefe added that he intends to release the CAIB's recommendations to 
the public as soon as they are available. "It is our responsibility to 
make that informed judgment public," he said, explaining that the 
scope and breadth of the Board members' experience in aircraft and 
other types of accidents is more than NASA could bring to bear on the 
investigation. 

The CAIB will conduct its first press conference at 3 p.m. EST
Tuesday, Feb. 11, in Teague Auditorium at the Johnson Space Center,
Houston. Board Chairman Harold W. Gehman Jr., will introduce CAIB
members and discuss Board structure, activities, and plans for the
investigation. 

The Expedition 6 crew aboard the International Space Station continued 
to unpack supplies delivered aboard the Progress-10 resupply ship and 
to prepare for a 6:34 a.m. EST Tuesday re-boost of the station using 
the Progress thrusters. The re-boost will last about 22 minutes and 
increase the Station's orbit approximately 7 miles.

Commander Ken Bowersox, Flight Engineer Nikolai Budarin and NASA
Station Science Officer Don Pettit will field questions from reporters 
during a news conference starting at 9:34 a.m. EST, Tuesday. The news 
conference will be broadcast on NASA Television with two-way question 
and answer capability from reporters at NASA centers.

While Shuttle missions are on indefinite hold, there is no urgency to
adjust plans regarding the late April launch of a new Russian Soyuz
TMA spacecraft or the makeup of its crew. Supplies on the Station are
sufficient through June. There are enough propellants on board to
maintain the Station's altitude and attitude for a year. Options are
being considered with the International Partners to keep the station
manned, safe and productive. "First we need to keep the crew safe,"
said Michael Kostelnik, Deputy Associate Administrator for
International Space Station and Space Shuttle, "and second, is to keep 
the Station safe." 

NASA TV is available on AMC-2, Transponder 9C, vertical polarization
at 85 degrees west longitude, 3880 MHz, with audio at 6.8 MHz.

For more information about NASA on the Internet:
                     www.nasa.gov

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