Author: Andrew Main (Zefram) <zefram@fysh.org>. Date: 2003-02-03. Abstract:
On mission STS-107, the space shuttle Columbia (OV-102) suffered physical damage to its left wing during ascent. It is possible that this damage contributed to the subsequent breakup and loss of the orbiter during descent. During the entire flight, despite being aware that damage had occurred, NASA remained unaware of the extent of the damage, making inadequate efforts to determine the nature of the damage. This error is ascribed to three aspects of NASA's management of manned spaceflights: excessive reliance on checklists, cumbersome EVA procedures, and a lack of autonomy for astronauts in flight.
Available as plain text.