Shuttle Flight Director: No Problems Expected Before Columbia's Return - 2003-02-16

The head of NASA's shuttle return operations, Leroy Cain, stated that he did not expect any problems during Columbia's landing. Cain mentioned that everything appeared normal on the morning of February 1. 'When we arrived at work that morning, everything was as expected. We were not working on any major issues. Everything was set up as I anticipated.' In a press conference in Houston, Cain acknowledged being aware of discussions among engineers about small debris that had struck the left side of the shuttle shortly after launch. However, this did not come to mind again until a team member reported that four thermal sensors had failed. He added, 'And when he mentioned the left wing thermal sensors on the phone, I paused; this was the first time I thought about that debris strike during re-entry.' Investigators have not concluded that the damage caused by the debris led to the shuttle's explosion, only stating that it is one of the factors under investigation. Cain noted that after the thermal sensors failed, evidence of a problem increased. He remarked that when he heard that television images showed multiple streaks instead of a single white line in the Texas sky, he knew something terrible had happened. At that moment, he and the other control team members relied on their emergency training to determine what actions to take, doing everything they could to save the crew. Cain stated he takes responsibility for their actions that morning, asserting, 'I had no doubt about the correctness of what we did or did not do, and I still do not. Given the problem we faced that day, there was no action that the flight control team could have done differently or should have done differently.' The Columbia accident investigation board reported on Wednesday that it is likely an object created a hole in the shuttle's body, allowing superheated gas, which surrounds the shuttle during atmospheric re-entry, to enter the vehicle.