R. Russell, NASA, KSC, FL

Summary:

Following the loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia, NASA formed a team of Materials and Processes (M&P) Engineers to support the Reconstruction Team assembled by the Orbiter Project Office. The M&P team supported the cleaning, handling and identification of the Columbia debris as it arrived at the reconstruction hangar at Kennedy Space Center Florida. In the early stages the investigation the M&P performed field examinations of various left wing components. After the investigation was focused onto the left wing leading edge the M&P team developed detailed sampling and failure analysis plans. The results of these analyses, combined with field observations, provided a failure scenario which supported the conclusions of the Reconstruction team, Orbiter Project Office and of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board.