NASA E-Mails Show 'No Concern' About Foam

Miami Herald ^ | 6/30/03 | Ted Bridis - AP

[NormsRevenge]

WASHINGTON - Even as NASA engineers debated possible damage, a flight director e-mailed Columbia's astronauts to say there was "absolutely no concern" that breakaway foam that struck the space shuttle might endanger its safe return. The shuttle's commander cheerily replied, "Thanks a million!"

Flight director J.S. "Steve" Stich conveyed his assurance to Columbia's commander and pilot on Jan. 23, according to documents disclosed Monday. At the time, engineers inside NASA continued to debate and study whether insulating foam that smashed against Columbia's wing on liftoff might have fatally damaged materials protecting the shuttle during its fiery descent.

Such materials included the gray-colored wing panels made from a material called reinforced carbon carbon, known within NASA as RCC, and insulating tiles covering other parts of the spacecraft.

"Experts have reviewed the high speed photography and there is no concern for RCC or tile damage," Stich wrote to Columbia's commander, Rick D. Husband, and pilot, William C. McCool. "We have seen the same phenomenon on several other flights and there is absolutely no concern for entry. That is all for now. It's a pleasure working with you every day."

Husband, a veteran shuttle astronaut, replied two days later, on Jan. 25, "Thanks a million, Steve! And thanks for the great work on your part."

Husband replied separately to an e-mail Jan. 24 from another flight director, Jeffrey M. Hanley, who sent a video clip showing the foam striking near Columbia's left wing during liftoff. Husband wrote back early Jan. 27, "Thanks Jeff! And thanks for the super work! We appreciate it."

Investigators are increasingly convinced a chunk of foam from the external tank smashed against Columbia's left wing, loosening a protective panel along the leading edge. That could have permitted searing temperatures to penetrate the spacecraft during its fiery return Feb. 1, melting key structures aboard Columbia until it tumbled out of control at nearly 13,000 miles per hour. All seven astronauts died.

NASA has said previously that Columbia's crew was apprised within days of the foam investigation and a Jan. 27 conclusion that the shuttle would return safely. But the crew members - and NASA's brass - were not told about an intense debate among some midlevel engineers over concerns Columbia's left wing might burn off and cause the deaths of the crew. Some preliminary, internal documents shared among other engineers predicted as early as Jan. 21 that despite any damage Columbia "maintains safe return capability."

Previously disclosed notes from five high-level meetings during Columbia's mission showed that shuttle managers hardly mentioned the subject and largely dismissed it conclusively on Jan. 27 as "not a safety of flight concern." When they did consider the foam strike, during a Jan. 21 meeting, it was the final agenda item - after discussions about minor water leaks and a broken camera on board.

NASA spokesman Kyle Herring said Stich's Jan. 23 e-mail assurance was not sent to Columbia's crew as a formal, operational dispatch and was based on ground assessments at the time. Herring said if NASA had concluded that Columbia's return would be risky, "then obviously more information would have been provided to the crew through channels other than a personal e-mail."

All Husband's messages carried the designation, "This is private/personal mail and not for release to media." NASA released printouts of the exchanges under the Freedom of Information Act and published them on its Web site.

The space agency also released pages of cartoons and humor material laced with inside-NASA jokes sent to Columbia's crew throughout the 16-day mission. One listed 10 phrases from astronauts who previously flew only to the International Space Station, including one gentle stab at the age of Columbia, NASA's oldest shuttle: "I didn't realize Columbia still flew!"

ON THE NET

E-mails: www.jsc.nasa.gov/news/columbia/107_emails/foamemails.doc

Shuttle Investigation: www.caib.us

[DoughtyOne]

WASHINGTON - Even as NASA engineers debated possible damage, a flight director e-mailed Columbia's astronauts to say there was "absolutely no concern"
that breakaway foam that struck the space shuttle might endanger its safe return. The shuttle's commander cheerily replied, "Thanks a million!"

Flight director J.S. "Steve" Stich conveyed his assurance to Columbia's commander and pilot on Jan. 23, according to documents disclosed Monday. At the time,
engineers inside NASA continued to debate and study whether insulating foam that smashed against Columbia's wing on liftoff might have fatally damaged materials
protecting the shuttle during its fiery descent.

So anotherwords he lied.  He said, "There's absolutely no concern a foam strike might have endangered the shuttle's safe return." (Paraphrased)  At the same time he and other engineers inside NASA were still investigating if that was true or not.  We now know it wasn't.

This is the support crew I'd want behind me if I were up there.  I'd want them right behind me in the shuttle so they'd be burnt to a crisp right along with me!

"CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE!"

[Rudder]

Flght Director J.S. "Steve" Stich...e-mailed Columbia's astronauts to say there was "absolutely no concern" that breakaway foam that struck the space shuttle might endanger its safe return.

Steve's got more good news, too. He just saved money on car insurance.

Hell, he doesn't give rat's ass because he's not in the Shuttle.

Scrap NASA, fire all the bureaucrats, and start again.

[eno_]

Yup. And highly prejudicial to any subsequent decisions on the topic. He should have been honest and said "We're still working on it." Had they been straight about it, they might have made better decisions over the course of the mission.

[eno_]

But what do we know? We're just "foamologists" not trained in NASA'a highly reliable decision-making processes. We should all just STFU. It isn't patriotic to question bureacats.

[DoughtyOne]

I agree. These folks just refused to acknowledge they had a problem and it cost seven people their lives. Imagine an airline crew saying, "We saw an eagle sucked into the only enging on the plane, but just didn't expect it to bring it down. Even when the captain expressed concern, we told him not to worry."

[X-FID]

I think the so-called foamheads have been vindicated, of course I am one.

[DoughtyOne]

When they first mentioned the foam, I said, "Foa my!" They said I was foaming at the mouth, but I remained foam in my position. Now they have foamed an opinion that backs my position. I have been foamily vindicated. Heads will role. It's only a mater of time and a forgone eventual foamality.

[NormsRevenge]

The foamilia is pleased . ;-)

[DoughtyOne]

It's always comforting to see someone else go over the deep end with you. ;)

[X-FID]

Are you saying "it's FOAM TIME"?, I got my FOAMing beverage at my side!

[NormsRevenge]

I'm blaming heat stroke, myself.

My icey-foam packed tin foil hat failed... again. (Who do I sue?)

[DoughtyOne]

It is nearing foamiller time at the D1 household.

[DoughtyOne]

I told you to quit storing that thing in the freezer. Let the hops thaw out and everything will be fine, and pleasantly refreshing.

[X-FID]

I once had the famous 'foam dome Cub helmet' with the infamous results that come with it, I wish I still had it sometimes.

[DoughtyOne]

We all went through that phase. As you get older you'll see the benefit of smiling as you recall the item you no longer have. LOL I have a number of items in that category.

[X-FID]

You got that right, so, what do you think of foamica?

[isthisnickcool]

The locals were saying that the foam caused the "event" the morning it happened. There was also a rumor that the crew could see the damage from the flight deck and that the skipper emailed his wife about it. And that after the "event" she asked NASA about it.

Shortly after NASA sent a group of suits to one of the trainers in Houston to verify that the damaged area could be seen from various places in the orbiter. They concluded there was no way to see the damage. People that were there threw fits over this because it was obvious to them that it would have been possible to see the damage on the wing. This all happened the same week that the support contracts were being awarded. So many people kept their mouths tight while all this was happening. After the contracts were awarded a lot of people were shuffled around and out. The word is that many experienced folks were shown the door for younger (IE: cheaper to pay) people. Others were "retired".

This is all heresay from taggers I know. I can't verify any of it. But these same folks told me right after the "event" that the foam caused it. And they also said "Dittmore is toast". They were right.

[DoughtyOne]

Foamaly against it, I have refoamulated my opinion. I am now foamily in support of it.

[eno_]

As someone who likes to take advantage of the occational sucker bet, it was easy to become a foamista due to the long odds againt it being anything else.

There is a lot than can go wrong on a shuttle, and the chances something else would go wrong in the identical location with the identical results are a lot more astronomical than you can get to from low Earth orbit.