Columbia Accident Investigation Board
Encyclopedia
The Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) was convened by NASA
to investigate the destruction
of the Space Shuttle Columbia
during STS-107
upon atmospheric re-entry on February 1, 2003. In addition to determining the cause of the accident, the panel also recommended changes that should be made to increase the safety of future shuttle flights. The CAIB released its final report on August 26, 2003.
The shuttle organization is very large, and decision makers cannot embody all information. Organizational mechanisms are responsible for properly informing and guiding decision makers. The report placed equal weight on organizational failings as the cause of the accident.
, served on both the CAIB panel and Rogers Commission and noted remarkable similarities between the two tragedies. She questioned why the shuttle was allowed to continue flying with known problems that were, eventually, catastrophic.
Since no machine is perfect, the problem comes down to identifying which known problems are an acceptable risk and which are not. In these two examples, shedding foam and failing o-rings, the organization failed to react correctly to the seriousness of the problem: in both cases, whereas engineers recognized the seriousness of the problem, NASA management dismissed both the evidence and the engineers' expertise and ultimately decided to continue with the mission, with catastrophic results.
To illustrate the organizational problems of safety awareness, Richard Feynman
attached a personal appendix to the Rogers Commission Report. It is equally relevant to the CAIB report. In it, he wrote: "It appears that there are enormous differences of opinion as to the probability of a failure with loss of vehicle and of human life. The estimates range from roughly 1 in 100 to 1 in 100,000. The higher figures come from the working engineers, and the very low figures from management. What are the causes and consequences of this lack of agreement? … we could properly ask, 'What is the cause of management's fantastic faith in the machinery?'"
The CAIB report found these same misperceptions by management and concluded that they contributed to the accident. Both reports also examined the ability of schedule pressures to influence safety-related design decisions.
The ultimate responsibility for the failure of Challenger
as well as Columbia
must reside with the decisionmakers - in this case, NASA executives who decided to ignore, dismiss, or minimize the testimony of their engineering experts.
In the meantime, only two further Space Shuttle missions are allowed to be flown before the implementation of these recommendations.
in 2005. As part of the CAIB recommendations, the Shuttle carried a 50-foot inspection boom attached to the robot arm, which was used within 24 hours of launch to check the orbiter for damage. As all but one of the post-Columbia missions are concentrated on the International Space Station
, primarily to provide a "safe haven" in the event an orbiter is damaged beyond the normal repair methods, NASA (smarting from a critical report that the STS-107 crew could have been rescued using the Space Shuttle Atlantis
) implemented a STS-3xx
contingency mission program that can launch a rescue orbiter on short notice, similar to the Skylab Rescue
that was planned during the Skylab
program.
NASA retired the Space Shuttle
fleet on July 21, 2011 after completing the ISS and the final flight and subsequent landing of Space Shuttle Atlantis
. The Shuttle's replacement, Orion
, was to have consisted of an Apollo-derived
spacecraft launched on the Ares I
rocket, which would use a Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster
as its first stage. Orion would not face the dangers of either an O-ring failure (due to the presence of a launch escape system
) or shedding foam (as the spacecraft will be launched in a stack configuration). In addition to ferrying crews to the ISS, the Orion spacecraft was to (as part of Project Constellation
) allow NASA to return to the Moon. President Obama signed the NASA Authorization Act 2010 on October 11 which officially brought the Constellation program to an end, replacing it with the Space Launch System
(SLS) and Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) programs to develop the launch vehicle and spacecraft to enable human exploration missions beyond low-Earth orbit.
Board members
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
to investigate the destruction
Space Shuttle Columbia disaster
The Space Shuttle Columbia disaster occurred on February 1, 2003, when shortly before it was scheduled to conclude its 28th mission, STS-107, the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas and Louisiana during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, resulting in the death of all seven crew members...
of the Space Shuttle Columbia
Space Shuttle Columbia
Space Shuttle Columbia was the first spaceworthy Space Shuttle in NASA's orbital fleet. First launched on the STS-1 mission, the first of the Space Shuttle program, it completed 27 missions before being destroyed during re-entry on February 1, 2003 near the end of its 28th, STS-107. All seven crew...
during STS-107
STS-107
-Mission parameters:*Mass:**Orbiter Liftoff: **Orbiter Landing: **Payload: *Perigee: *Apogee: *Inclination: 39.0°*Period: 90.1 min- Insignia :...
upon atmospheric re-entry on February 1, 2003. In addition to determining the cause of the accident, the panel also recommended changes that should be made to increase the safety of future shuttle flights. The CAIB released its final report on August 26, 2003.
Major findings
The board found both the immediate physical cause of the accident and also what it called organizational causes.Immediate cause of the accident
82 seconds after launch a large piece of foam insulating material from the external tank broke free and struck the leading edge of the shuttle's left wing, damaging the protective carbon heat shielding panels. This damage allowed super-heated gases to enter the wing structure during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere and caused the destruction of the Columbia.Organizational cause of the accident
The problem of debris shedding from the external tank was well known and had caused shuttle damage on every prior shuttle flight. The damage was usually, but not always, minor. Over time, management gained confidence that it was an acceptable risk. The board found that this should not have happened.The shuttle organization is very large, and decision makers cannot embody all information. Organizational mechanisms are responsible for properly informing and guiding decision makers. The report placed equal weight on organizational failings as the cause of the accident.
Echoes of Challenger
One board member, Dr. Sally RideSally Ride
Sally Kristen Ride is an American physicist and a former NASA astronaut. Ride joined NASA in 1978, and in 1983 became the first American woman—and then-youngest American, at 32—to enter space...
, served on both the CAIB panel and Rogers Commission and noted remarkable similarities between the two tragedies. She questioned why the shuttle was allowed to continue flying with known problems that were, eventually, catastrophic.
Since no machine is perfect, the problem comes down to identifying which known problems are an acceptable risk and which are not. In these two examples, shedding foam and failing o-rings, the organization failed to react correctly to the seriousness of the problem: in both cases, whereas engineers recognized the seriousness of the problem, NASA management dismissed both the evidence and the engineers' expertise and ultimately decided to continue with the mission, with catastrophic results.
To illustrate the organizational problems of safety awareness, Richard Feynman
Richard Feynman
Richard Phillips Feynman was an American physicist known for his work in the path integral formulation of quantum mechanics, the theory of quantum electrodynamics and the physics of the superfluidity of supercooled liquid helium, as well as in particle physics...
attached a personal appendix to the Rogers Commission Report. It is equally relevant to the CAIB report. In it, he wrote: "It appears that there are enormous differences of opinion as to the probability of a failure with loss of vehicle and of human life. The estimates range from roughly 1 in 100 to 1 in 100,000. The higher figures come from the working engineers, and the very low figures from management. What are the causes and consequences of this lack of agreement? … we could properly ask, 'What is the cause of management's fantastic faith in the machinery?'"
The CAIB report found these same misperceptions by management and concluded that they contributed to the accident. Both reports also examined the ability of schedule pressures to influence safety-related design decisions.
The ultimate responsibility for the failure of Challenger
Space Shuttle Challenger
Space Shuttle Challenger was NASA's second Space Shuttle orbiter to be put into service, Columbia having been the first. The shuttle was built by Rockwell International's Space Transportation Systems Division in Downey, California...
as well as Columbia
Space Shuttle Columbia
Space Shuttle Columbia was the first spaceworthy Space Shuttle in NASA's orbital fleet. First launched on the STS-1 mission, the first of the Space Shuttle program, it completed 27 missions before being destroyed during re-entry on February 1, 2003 near the end of its 28th, STS-107. All seven crew...
must reside with the decisionmakers - in this case, NASA executives who decided to ignore, dismiss, or minimize the testimony of their engineering experts.
Board recommendations
The board made 29 specific recommendations to NASA to improve the safety of future shuttle flights. These recommendations include:- Foam from external tank should not break free
- Better pre-flight inspection routines
- Increase quality of images available of shuttle during ascent and on-flight
- Recertify all shuttle components by the year 2010
- Establish an independent Technical Engineering Authority that is responsible for technical requirements and all waivers to them, and will build a disciplined, systematic approach to identifying, analyzing, and controlling hazards throughout the life cycle of the Shuttle System.
In the meantime, only two further Space Shuttle missions are allowed to be flown before the implementation of these recommendations.
Shuttle program since the CAIB report
After the CAIB report came out, NASA implemented all recommended changes and flew its first post-Columbia missionSTS-114
-Original crew:This mission was to carry the Expedition 7 crew to the ISS and bring home the Expedition 6 crew. The original crew was to be:-Mission highlights:...
in 2005. As part of the CAIB recommendations, the Shuttle carried a 50-foot inspection boom attached to the robot arm, which was used within 24 hours of launch to check the orbiter for damage. As all but one of the post-Columbia missions are concentrated on the International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
, primarily to provide a "safe haven" in the event an orbiter is damaged beyond the normal repair methods, NASA (smarting from a critical report that the STS-107 crew could have been rescued using the Space Shuttle Atlantis
Space Shuttle Atlantis
The Space Shuttle Atlantis is a retired Space Shuttle orbiter in the Space Shuttle fleet belonging to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration , the spaceflight and space exploration agency of the United States...
) implemented a STS-3xx
STS-3xx
Space Shuttle missions designated STS-3xx were rescue missions which would have been mounted to rescue the crew of a Space Shuttle if their vehicle was damaged and deemed unable to make a successful reentry...
contingency mission program that can launch a rescue orbiter on short notice, similar to the Skylab Rescue
Skylab Rescue
Brand flew in 1975 during the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project as command module pilot, later commanding three Space Shuttle missions . Lind would wait another decade before he flew as a mission specialist on STS-51-B in 1985.-External links:* * * * * * *...
that was planned during the Skylab
Skylab
Skylab was a space station launched and operated by NASA, the space agency of the United States. Skylab orbited the Earth from 1973 to 1979, and included a workshop, a solar observatory, and other systems. It was launched unmanned by a modified Saturn V rocket, with a mass of...
program.
NASA retired the Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
fleet on July 21, 2011 after completing the ISS and the final flight and subsequent landing of Space Shuttle Atlantis
Space Shuttle Atlantis
The Space Shuttle Atlantis is a retired Space Shuttle orbiter in the Space Shuttle fleet belonging to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration , the spaceflight and space exploration agency of the United States...
. The Shuttle's replacement, Orion
Orion (spacecraft)
Orion is a spacecraft designed by Lockheed Martin for NASA, the space agency of the United States. Orion development began in 2005 as part of the Constellation program, where Orion would fulfill the function of a Crew Exploration Vehicle....
, was to have consisted of an Apollo-derived
Apollo Command/Service Module
The Command/Service Module was one of two spacecraft, along with the Lunar Module, used for the United States Apollo program which landed astronauts on the Moon. It was built for NASA by North American Aviation...
spacecraft launched on the Ares I
Ares I
Ares I was the crew launch vehicle that was being developed by NASA as part of the Constellation Program. The name "Ares" refers to the Greek deity Ares, who is identified with the Roman god Mars...
rocket, which would use a Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster
Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster
The Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters were the pair of large solid rockets used by the United States' NASA Space Shuttle during the first two minutes of powered flight. Together they provided about 83% of liftoff thrust for the Space Shuttle. They were located on either side of the rusty or...
as its first stage. Orion would not face the dangers of either an O-ring failure (due to the presence of a launch escape system
Launch escape system
A Launch Escape System is a top-mounted rocket connected to the crew module of a crewed spacecraft and used to quickly separate the crew module from the rest of the rocket in case of emergency. Since the escape rockets are above the crew module, an LES typically uses separate nozzles which are...
) or shedding foam (as the spacecraft will be launched in a stack configuration). In addition to ferrying crews to the ISS, the Orion spacecraft was to (as part of Project Constellation
Project Constellation
Constellation Program is a human spaceflight program within NASA, the space agency of the United States. The stated goals of the program were to gain significant experience in operating away from Earth's environment, develop technologies needed for opening the space frontier, and conduct...
) allow NASA to return to the Moon. President Obama signed the NASA Authorization Act 2010 on October 11 which officially brought the Constellation program to an end, replacing it with the Space Launch System
Space Launch System
The Space Launch System, or SLS, is a Space Shuttle-derived heavy launch vehicle being designed by NASA, following the cancellation of the Constellation Program, to replace the retired Space Shuttle. The NASA Authorization Act of 2010 envisions the transformation of the Ares I and Ares V vehicle...
(SLS) and Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) programs to develop the launch vehicle and spacecraft to enable human exploration missions beyond low-Earth orbit.
Board members
Chairman of the board- Admiral Hal GehmanHarold W. Gehman, Jr.Admiral Harold W. Gehman, Jr. is a retired United States Navy four-star admiral who served as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander, Atlantic , Commander-in-Chief of the United States Joint Forces Command, one of the United States' Unified Combatant Commands, and Vice Chief of Naval Operations...
, USNUnited States NavyThe United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
Board members
- Rear Admiral Stephen Turcotte, Commander, Naval Safety Center
- Maj. General John Barry, Director, Plans and Programs, Headquarters Air Force Materiel CommandAir Force Materiel CommandAir Force Materiel Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. AFMC was created July 1, 1992 through the reorganization of Air Force Logistics Command and Air Force Systems Command....
- Maj. General Kenneth W. Hess, Commander, Air Force Safety CenterAir Force Safety CenterThe Air Force Safety Center attempts to prevent mishaps and preserve combat readiness by developing, implementing, executing, and evaluating Air Force aviation, ground, weapons, nuclear surety, space, and system programs. It conducts research to promote safety and awareness and mishap prevention...
- Dr. James N. HallockJames N. HallockJames Nelson Hallock is an American physicist. His research and work for the US Government has been lengthy, from Gemini and Apollo missions, to the more recent Columbia Accident Investigation Board, or CAIB...
, Chief, Aviation Safety Division, U.S. Department of Transportation, Volpe Center - Mr. Steven B. Wallace, Director of Accident Investigation, Federal Aviation AdministrationFederal Aviation AdministrationThe Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
- Brig. General Duane Deal, Commander, 21st Space Wing, United States Air Force
- Mr. Scott Hubbard, Director, NASA Ames Research CenterNASA Ames Research CenterThe Ames Research Center , is one of the United States of America's National Aeronautics and Space Administration 10 major field centers.The centre is located in Moffett Field in California's Silicon Valley, near the high-tech companies, entrepreneurial ventures, universities, and other...
- Mr. Roger E. Tetrault, Retired Chairman, McDermott International
- Dr. Sheila E. WidnallSheila E. WidnallSheila Marie Evans Widnall is an American aerospace researcher and Institute Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She served as United States Secretary of the Air Force between 1993 and 1997, making her the first female Secretary of the Air Force and first woman to lead an...
, Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Engineering Systems, MITMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyThe Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in... - Dr. Douglas D. OsheroffDouglas D. OsheroffDouglas Dean Osheroff is an American physicist known for his work in experimental condensed matter physics, in particular for his co-discovery of superfluidity in Helium-3. For his contributions he shared the 1996 Nobel Prize in Physics along with David Lee and Robert C...
, Professor of Physics and Applied Physics, Stanford UniversityStanford UniversityThe Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San... - Dr. Sally RideSally RideSally Kristen Ride is an American physicist and a former NASA astronaut. Ride joined NASA in 1978, and in 1983 became the first American woman—and then-youngest American, at 32—to enter space...
, Professor of Space Science, University of California, San DiegoUniversity of California, San DiegoThe University of California, San Diego, commonly known as UCSD or UC San Diego, is a public research university located in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, California, United States... - Dr. John LogsdonJohn LogsdonJohn Logsdon is former Director of the Space Policy Institute at The George Washington University.Logsdon was a member of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board. He is a current member of the NASA Advisory Council...
, Director of the Space Policy Institute, George Washington UniversityGeorge Washington UniversityThe George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
Board support
- Ex-Officio Member: Lt. Col. Michael J. Bloomfield, NASA Astronaut
- Executive Secretary: Mr. Theron M. Bradley, Jr., NASA Chief Engineer
Partial list of additional investigators and CAIB support staff
- Col Timothy Bair
- Col. Jack Anthony
- Dr. James P. BagianJames P. BagianJames Philip Bagian, MD, PE , born 22 February 1952 in Philadelphia, is an engineer and former NASA scientific astronaut. He is of Armenian descent.- Education :...
- Lt. Col. Richard J. Burgess
- Thomas L. Carter
- Dr. Dwayne A. Day
- Major Tracy Dillinger
- Thomas L. Foster
- CDR Mike Francis
- Howard E. Goldstein
- Lt. Col Patrick A. Goodman
- Lt. Matthew E. Granger
- Ronald K. Gress
- Thomas Haueter
- Dr. Daniel Heimerdinger
- Dennis R. Jenkins
- Christopher Kirchhoff
- Dr. Gregory T. A. Kovacs
- John F. Lehman
- Jim Mosquera
- Gary Olson
- Gregory Phillips
- David B. Pye
- Lester A. Reingold
- Donald J. Rigali
- Dr. James. W. Smiley
- G. Mark Tanner
- Lt. Col. Wade J. Thompson
- Bob Vallaster
- Lt. Col. Donald J. White
- Dr. Paul D. Wilde
- LCDR Johnny R. Wolfe Jr.
- Richard W. Russell
- Dr. Robert E. Green, Jr.
Sources
- CAIB panel and staff information Retrieved February 15, 2004
- CAIB Final Report, Volume 1 (August 26, 2003)
- STS-107 Investigation Reference Page
- NASA SLS MPCV Retrieved April 30, 2011