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STATEMENT BY THE COLUMBIA ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION BOARD
KSC News Release ^ | 02/13/03 | Steve Nesbitt

Posted on 02/13/2003 2:47:19 PM PST by brewcrew

STATEMENT BY THE COLUMBIA ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION BOARD (Feb. 13, 2003)

Note: The CAIB has asked NASA for administrative support to release information to the public and the media. The following statement was provided by the CAIB for release.

Thermal Analysis Shows Hot Plasma Possible in Columbia Left Wheel Well Area

Preliminary analysis by a NASA working group this week indicates that the temperature indications seen in Columbia's left wheel well during entry would require the presence of plasma (super heated gas surrounding the orbiter during re- entry).

Heat transfer through the structure as from a missing tile would not be sufficient to cause the temperature indications seen in the last minutes of flight.

Additional analysis is underway, looking at various scenarios in which a breach of some type, allowing plasma into the wheel well area or elsewhere in the wing, could occur.

Other flight data including gear position indicators and drag information does not support the scenario of an early deployment of the left gear.

The search continues for possible debris from Columbia in the western U.S., but as of early Thursday, no debris further west than Ft. Worth, Texas has been confirmed as Shuttle- related.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: caib; columbia; shuttle; space

1 posted on 02/13/2003 2:47:19 PM PST by brewcrew
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To: brewcrew; XBob; John Jamieson; Thud; wirestripper; Budge; bonesmccoy; spunkets; backhoe
ping
2 posted on 02/13/2003 2:55:29 PM PST by BraveMan
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To: BraveMan
They're a few days behind us, but catching up.
3 posted on 02/13/2003 3:01:20 PM PST by John Jamieson
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To: BraveMan
Thanks for the ping!
4 posted on 02/13/2003 3:18:43 PM PST by Cold Heat
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To: BraveMan
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/835531/posts?page=1581#1581

All readers of this thread should come to the thread that is leading the networks.

We're at least 48 hours ahead of the news cycle from the 'regular' news outlets.
5 posted on 02/13/2003 3:41:49 PM PST by bonesmccoy (Defeat the terrorists... Vaccinate!)
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To: brewcrew; All; Dark Wing
We think there was a breach of the reinforced carbon-carbon leading edge heat protection system forward of the left wing wheel well which sent the re-entry plasma down a channel to the wheel well area. This same plasma may have heated a section of the aluminum wing's inside above the heat protection tiles, causing the tile adhesive to loosen with the tiles detaching as the visible sparks on the videos and camera stills.
6 posted on 02/13/2003 4:59:52 PM PST by Thud
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To: *Space
Space ping
7 posted on 02/19/2003 8:52:44 AM PST by anymouse
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