[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!"

[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.

[snopercod]

I don't think Stitch lied. According to all the information he had, there was no problem. It's just that the folks in Houston live in their own little world, and really don't get out very often.

There was plenty of concern at KSC, but as far as Houston is concerned, the people at KSC are just a bunch of inbred redneck crackers.

It was Greg Katnick, KSC engineer, who raised the problem with the foam several years ago. He was ignored.

It was someone at KSC, not Houston, who thought it was important enough to buck the chain of command to request on-orbit photos from the DoD. Someone in NASA - probably Houston - who quashed that request.

[TLBSHOW]

BUMP