Statement of

Sean O'Keefe 

Administrator

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

before the

Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation

United States Senate

and the

Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics 

Committee on Science

House of Representatives

Good morning.

I appreciate the opportunity to appear before this hearing of the Senate Commerce, Science and 

Transportation Committee and the House Science Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics to 

discuss the tragic loss of the courageous crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia, the on-going 

investigation into this tragedy, and the implications of the loss of Columbia to the nation's space 

exploration efforts.

This morning, eleven days after the accident, our work continues to honor the solemn pledge we've 

made to the astronaut's families and to the American people that we will find out what caused the 

loss of the Columbia and its crew, correct what problems we find, and do our utmost to make sure 

this never happens again.

We welcome the committee's interest in working with NASA to help determine how we can learn 

from this tragic accident so that we may continue advancing the Nation's research and exploration 

objectives in space while at the same time striving to ensure we make manned spaceflight as safe as 

humanly possible.

Throughout NASA's forty-five years of serving the public interest, Congress has been our partner, 

helping us achieve the goals outlined in NASA's congressionally authorized charter. This charter 

compels NASA to:

• Explore, use, and enable the development of space for human enterprise.

• Advance scientific knowledge and understanding of the Earth, the Solar System, and the Universe 

and use the environment of space for research.

• Research, develop, verify, and transfer advanced aeronautics, space, and related technologies.

With the support of Congress, NASA has amassed a record of significant achievements that have 

tangibly improved the lives of ordinary Americans. When we have erred, you have helped us right 

our course.
This morning you will be asking us challenging questions. That's as it should be. Believe me, none 

of the questions you will ask can be any tougher than those we are asking ourselves.

I can assure you, however, that whatever determinations are reached regarding the cause of the 

accident, you will find that complacency will not be one of them. Last year we temporarily halted 

Shuttle flight operations when tiny cracks were discovered in metal liners used to direct the fuel 

flow inside propellant lines on two different orbiters. We did not fly again until that problem was 

corrected. To signal our continued commitment to rewarding such diligence, we also made a point 

to praise David Strait, the young contractor employee who discovered the cracks. Other flight 

decisions made throughout the year were made with the goal of operational safety being paramount. 

And from working with the dedicated employees who keep the Shuttle flying safely I know they 

have the utmost regard for the enormity of their duty.

This week, at NASA Centers throughout the country and in the field, with the support of more than 

2000 people from more than 20 federal, state and local organizations, the important work of data 

analysis and recovery operations is continuing. I am extremely proud of the work that is being 

conducted by these dedicated public servants. As President Bush said last week, "The people of 

NASA are being tested once again. In your grief, you are responding as your friends would have 

wished-with focus, professionalism, and unbroken faith in the mission of this agency. Captain Dave 

Brown was correct: America's space program will go on."

This morning, to help frame our discussion, I would like to review for you the significant actions 

NASA has taken since the morning of the accident in accord with our contingency plan. In addition 

to articulating notification or first response procedures, defining the roles and responsibilities of 

mishap response and mishap investigation teams, the plan specifies selection of persons outside of 

NASA to head an independent, seasoned accident investigation team.

While we did not foresee this terrible tragedy, our response has unfolded as we had planned and 

prepared for in that contingency plan. This plan was one of the many positive outcomes from the 

terrible loss of the Space Shuttle Challenger seventeen years ago. The plan is updated before every 

flight and a contingency was simulated just three months ago.

First Response: Saturday February 1, 2003

When we first became aware of the a problem with STS-107, I was waiting at the Space Shuttle 

Landing Strip at the Kennedy Space Center on Saturday, February 1. At 8:59 a.m. eastern time, we 

lost communications with the Columbia.

At 9:16 a.m. the countdown arrival clock reached zero and there was no sign of the Columbia. 

Captain Bill Readdy, our Associate Administrator for Space Flight, declared a spaceflight 

contingency and activated the Recovery Control Center at the Kennedy Space Center.

At that point, Bill Readdy and I departed the landing strip and headed to the Launch Control Center.

We arrived at the Launch Control Center thirteen minutes later, at 9:29 a.m., and we activated the 

Contingency Action Plan for Space Flight Operations. Through the White House Situation Room, 

we notified the President as well as other senior staff of the loss of communication. In addition, 

members of Congress and the Government of Israel were notified. Homeland Security Secretary 

Tom Ridge and the National Security Council were also made aware of the situation. Secretary 

Ridge then began assessing the possibility that this situation was terrorism-related. Shortly after, he 
made a determination that it was highly unlikely terrorism was involved. Secretary Ridge then 

announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency would be the lead Federal agency for 

the recovery effort.

Meanwhile, the family members of the Columbia astronauts were escorted from the landing strip to 

the astronaut's crew quarters. Later that morning, at about 11:30 a.m., I met with the families at the 

crew quarters at Kennedy Space Center to express my condolences, offering any and all support we 

could give, and stated our commitment to find the cause of the accident, fix any problems we may 

find, and continue the work that their loved ones had started.

Data at all NASA sites and contractors were impounded at 10:00 a.m. and the Headquarters Action 

Center in Washington, D.C. was activated with NASA personnel moving immediately to their duty 

stations.

By 10:30 a.m., the NASA Mishap Response Team convened to assess the preliminary data and 

focus on the location of the crew compartment through the Rescue Coordination Center at Langley 

Air Force Base in Virginia. The Rapid Response Team was activated for deployment to Barksdale 

AFB in Louisiana.

Columbia Accident Investigation Board

The process of initiating the Columbia Accident Investigation Board began about 10:30 a.m. on 

Saturday, February 1, when I placed a call to NASA Deputy Administrator Fred Gregory, who was 

at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Mr. Gregory then began calling Columbia Accident 

Investigation Board members currently listed in our contingency plan.

At 1:15 p.m., I made a brief televised statement expressing our "deepest national regrets" for the 

tragic accident and informed the public about the appointment of the Columbia Accident 

Investigation Board.

I verbally activated the Columbia Accident Investigation Board during the NASA Mishap

Investigation Team teleconference, which occurred at 5:00 p.m.

By 6:00 p.m. during a teleconference with the White House Situation Room, we briefed officials 

from the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the 

Department of Defense, the FBI, and the Federal Aviation Administration about the current status 

of the accident investigation.

At 6:40 p.m. staff members of the National Transportation Safety Board departed Washington and 

traveled to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana to assist as part of the Mishap Investigation 

Team. They were later made available to the Columbia Accident Investigation Board.

On Sunday, February 2, The Columbia Accident Investigation Board, headed by retired U.S. Navy 

Admiral Hal Gehman, held its first meeting at Barksdale AFB, less than 30 hours after the accident. 

We also began the practice of twice daily briefings at Headquarters in Washington and at the 

Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Membership in the Columbia Accident Investigation Board consists of persons selected for their 

positions in heading civil and military offices with responsibilities for aerospace safety accident 
investigations and related skills. Many have been chief investigators on major accidents and 

between them the Columbia Accident Investigation Board members have the experience of some 50 

major investigations to draw upon. Quite simply, the people who are now on the Board are some of 

the best in the world at what they do.

You have our assurance that this distinguished Board will be able to act with genuine independence. 

When the Board assembled, it modified its Charter to eliminate any reference to NASA directing 

the administration of the investigation. NASA accepted the changes to the Charter without 

objection. Further, the NASA Inspector General, Robert Cobb is an observer on the Columbia 

Accident Investigation Board and he will help assure the independence of the Board as he reports to 

the President and Congress.

There are some additional details about the Columbia Accident Investigation Board and its 

activities that are worth noting. The Board has taken over hardware and software releases of NASA 

so that NASA cannot alter anything unless the Board approves. NASA has already begun to honor 

document requests from the Board, and has also supplied additional documents to the Board which 

were not requested that we believe may be helpful to their work. And finally, the Board has 

instructed NASA to conduct fault tree analysis that it intends to independently validate.

Recovery Operations

On Sunday, the NASA Mishap Investigation Team was on the ground and working with local 

officials in Texas and Louisiana. The State of Texas activated 800 members of the Texas National 

Guard to assist with the retrieval of debris.

By Tuesday, there were nearly 200 NASA and NASA contractor personnel working recovery 

operations in Texas, Louisiana, Arizona, and California. They were part of the more than 2000 

people from Federal Emergency Management Agency, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal 

Bureau of Investigation, Department of Defense, Department of Transportation, U.S. Forest 

Service, Texas National Guard, and state and local authorities working to locate, document, and 

collect debris.

By Wednesday, the astronauts' remains were transported to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. At 

Dover, NASA Deputy Administrator Fred Gregory and a ceremonial honor guard were present to 

pay our respects to the seven fallen astronauts.

Throughout the week, we were able to make steady progress in our effort to recover debris from the 

accident. We have thus far recovered upwards of 12,000 elements of debris. The search effort, as 

you know from our press conferences, is a large, complex and on-going effort over hundreds of 

square miles with challenging weather and terrain conditions. We are very grateful that no one was 

injured on the ground as a result of flying debris from the accident and we are working with our 

agency partners to ensure recovery operations remain safe.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency command post was set up in Lufkin, Texas on 

Saturday, February 1, and has been operating non-stop since then. Debris collection activities began 

at Barksdale Air Force Base on Sunday, February 2. Yesterday, we began transporting debris on 

trucks to the Kennedy Space Center where they will be assembled and analyzed as part of the 

comprehensive accident investigation directed by the Gehman Board. I visited Texas and Louisiana 

this past Saturday to get my own assessment of the operation and to personally thank the many 

volunteers who have worked so tirelessly to support the debris recovery effort.
Space Shuttle Status

Let me touch briefly on the Space Shuttle fleet as it is today. Discovery is continuing to undergo 

major inspections and upgrades which will be completed by April of 2004. Atlantis is currently 

assembled and stacked in the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center for STS114. The Endeavor is in the Orbiter Processing Facility and being prepared for STS-115.

The next Shuttle mission, STS-114, was to have been to the International Space Station in March. 

That mission, commanded by Col. Eileen Collins, U.S. Air Force, is on hold until we understand 

the causes of the Columbia accident and are able to resolve any issues identified. At this time we 

don't know how long it will be before we can resume Shuttle flights. We will only know when the 

Columbia Accident Investigation Board concludes its work and presents its findings.

Columbia was the first Orbiter in the Shuttle fleet, having flown 28 successful missions or just over 

a quarter of its certified life of 100 flights. In February 2001, less than a year ago, Columbia 

completed a major scheduled eighteen month overhaul and update of its systems, a process we call 

Orbiter Major Modifications (OMM). The STS-107 mission was Columbia's second flight 

following OMM and a successful servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope in March 2002.

Prior to the loss of Columbia and her crew, the projected Shuttle flight rate was five flights per year 

starting in FY 2004, and we have requested funding for that flight rate in this budget. The flight rate 

will be adjusted as needed once we determine when we can return to flight.

International Space Station Status

The crew of the International Space Station is of course deeply saddened by the loss of Columbia 

and her crew - as are all of our partners and people around the world. I spoke with International 

Space Station crew members Ken Bowersox, Don Pettit, and Nikolai Budarin on Saturday, 

February 1st to inform them of the accident and how we are proceeding. Despite this tragedy, the 

crew is continuing its busy schedule of work.

The day after the loss of STS-107, our Russian partners conducted a successful launch of an 

unmanned, autonomous Progress resupply vehicle to the Station. The provisions carried on Progress 

10P should provide the crew sufficient supplies to maintain normal operations through June 2003.

Progress resupply flights to the International Space Station by our Russian partner will continue as 

scheduled. The next Progress flight is scheduled for June 8, 2003. We are working with the Russian 

Aviation and Space Agency officials to determine what we want to place on the flight to make sure 

we make the best use of the space available. In addition, a regularly scheduled Soyuz crew transport 

vehicle exchange is already planned for launch in April 2003.

Study teams formed almost immediately after the accident to assess the impact on the International 

Space Station. These teams are focused on how we will 1) sustain the Station, 2) continue to 

assemble the Station, and 3) maximize the utilization of this unique research platform. We have 

kept our International Space Station partners informed of our recovery efforts. Further, we met with 

our international partners last week and plan future meetings in the weeks ahead to develop an 

International Space Station partner plan.

We can maintain a permanent crew on the International Space Station as long as is necessary with 

support from Soyuz and Progress flights. The International Space Station is stable and has sufficient 
propellant to maintain its orbit for at least a year without support from the Space Shuttle. A nearer 

term issue for crew support beyond June is water. The International Space Station cannot support a 

crew of three after June with the currently planned support from Progress. As a consequence, we are 

discussing with our international partners the possibility of changing the April Soyuz flight from a 

taxi mission to a crew exchange mission as well as the feasibility of adding Progress resupply 

flights.

I should emphasize however, that no decisions have been made and we are examining all options. I 

have talked to the Expedition Six crew now on-orbit and they have expressed determination and 

desire to do what ever is necessary to continue their research and deal with any changes in the crew 

rotation schedule that may be necessary.

Integrated Space Transportation Plan

As we look forward to determine our Nation's best course of action in response to the Columbia 

accident, it is worth noting NASA's Integrated Space Transportation Plan (ISTP), which was 

submitted by the President to Congress in November as an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2003 

federal budget. The Integrated Space Transportation Plan can help us address many of the near term 

issues we are facing, even though it was developed prior to the loss of Columbia.

The Integrated Space Transportation Plan reflects the tight coupling required across the Space 

Station, Space Shuttle, and Space Launch Initiatives efforts. It is intended to ensure that necessary 

access to the International Space Station can be supported for the foreseeable future. It consists of 

three major programs: the Space Shuttle, the Orbital Space Plane, and Next Generation Launch 

Technology.

• The new plan makes investments to extend Shuttle's operational life for continued safe 

operations.

• The Orbital Space Plane is designed to provide a crew transfer capability as early as possible 

to assure access to and from the International Space Station.

• The Next Generation Launch Technology Program funds next generation reusable launch 

vehicle technology developments in areas such as propulsion, structures, and operations.

• The SLI will focus on the Orbital Space Plane and Next Generation Launch Technology, 

including Third Generation RLV efforts.

The FY 2003 budget amendment also proposed adding funds to International Space Station reserves 

to assure that we could successfully reach the milestone of U.S. core complete and maintain 

progress on long-lead items for enhanced research aboard the Space Station.

Science and Research Objectives

Space flight is a means to an end and at NASA that end is research, exploration, discovery and 

inspiration. The crew of STS-107 were engaged in a wide array of scientific research that could be 

conducted nowhere else but in space, and had significant potential benefits for the public. 

Columbia's crew took great pride in their research aimed at fighting cancer, improving crop yields, 

developing fire-suppression techniques, building earthquake-resistant buildings, and understanding 

the effects of dust storms on weather. As was written in the press, "Columbia had a cargo of human 

ingenuity."
The crew of the International Space Station is also conducting research now that can be conducted 

nowhere else. Thus far, more than sixty experiments spanning across such scientific disciplines as 

human physiology, genetics, plant biology, earth observations, physics, and cell biology have been 

conducted on the International Space Station. From these experiments scientists are learning better 

methods of drug testing, and about dynamic models of human diseases, the physics of fundamental 

processes in manufacturing, antibiotic synthesis, and changes in Earth climate, vegetation, and 

crops.

The International Space Station is the centerpiece initiative of human space flight at NASA. Our 

objectives in this regard are very clear. First, we will keep our on-orbit International Space Station 

crew safe. Second, we intend to keep the International Space Station continuously occupied in order 

to assure the reliability of the International Space Station itself. Third, we intend to return to 

assembly as soon as we are able to return the shuttle fleet to safe operations, and complete the 

research goals set for ourselves and our international partners.

To accomplish these aims, we need to create a long-term crew return capability to complement and 

augment the Soyuz vehicles now provided by our Russian partners. We intend to build on that new 

return capability to create a crew transfer system that will allow us to rotate crews on the 

International Space Station independently from the Space Shuttle.

We also firmly believe that extending the operational life of the remaining Shuttle fleet is a good 

investment because it will help maximize the science return from the International Space Station.

We designed our Integrated Space Transportation Plan (ISTP) to ensure that we had the coordinated 

resources to exploit the unique research environment of space and the International Space Station in 

the near, mid-, and long-term. We thought the plan was a good one when we proposed it and we 

believe that it is not only valid today but even more compelling to pursue. While we believe the 

ISTP is a good plan, we will reexamine it if necessary in light of investigation findings on 

Columbia.

Moving Forward

Just over a week ago - although it seems more like a lifetime - the President spoke eloquently and 

powerfully at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. He said:

"The cause of exploration and discovery is not an option we choose; it is a desire 

written in the human heart. We are that part of creation which seeks to understand 

all creation. We find the best among us, send them forth into unmapped darkness, 

and pray they will return. They go in peace for all mankind, and all mankind is in 

their debt."

The noble purposes described in President Bush's words frames all that we do and how we do it. 

These purposes drive our mission goals, which are:

To understand and protect our home planet; To explore the Universe and search for 

life; and, To inspire the next generation of explorers as only NASA can.

And even while our nonstop work to recover from this terrible tragedy and to continue safe 

operations on the International Space Station will be our chief focus in the days ahead, the 
American people should know that we will also press ahead with our other activities to achieve 

these important goals.

This Centennial of Flight year we will be launching the Mars Exploration Rovers, the Mars Express 

spacecraft, the Space InfraRed Telescope Facility, and a number of Earth Science spacecraft and 

instruments, as well as continuing our work to help improve aviation security on behalf of our 

Homeland Defense.

In these activities and in all we do at NASA, we strive for unmatched excellence. And when it 

comes to human space exploration, where margins are razor thin, we know we are graded on a very 

harsh curve. For us, ninety-six percent to ninety-nine percent is not an "A." One hundred percent is 

the minimum passing grade.

Despite this harsh truth, we know the lesson from this terrible accident is not to turn our backs on 

exploration simply because it is hard or risky. As John Shedd wrote about the age of ocean 

exploration, "A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." Human history 

teaches us that in exploration, after accidents like this occur, we can learn from them and further 

reduce risk, although we must honestly admit that risks can never be eliminated. And as President 

John F. Kennedy said some 41 years ago, speaking about our fledgling space program, "All great 

and honorable actions are accompanied with great difficulties, and both must be enterprised and 

overcome with answerable courage."

The immediate task before the Agency is clear. We will find the problem that caused the loss of 

Columbia and its crew, we will fix it, and we will return to flight operations that are as safe as 

humanly possible in pursuit of knowledge. We have no preconceptions about what the cause of 

failure was or what it will take to make sure it never happens again. We have an independent 

accident investigation board of truly outstanding and eminently qualified individuals and they, and 

they alone, will determine the cause of the accident and its remedy - no matter where it leads. We 

are ready and willing to support the addition of any experts that Admiral Gehman deems necessary 

to the effective conduct of the Board's investigations.

Part of my job as Administrator is to remind everyone of what NASA does and what we are capable 

of doing. It's a responsibility I take very seriously. At the same time that I am saddened beyond 

words for the loss of the seven outstanding men and women of STS-107, I am also very proud and 

humbled by the focus, dedication and professionalism of the NASA family and all those throughout 

the country who are assisting us in the recovery effort.

Today, February 12 is also the birthday of President Lincoln. And some of his words, spoken for a 

very different purpose, have come to be in my mind this past week:

"It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us - that 

from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they 

gave the last full measure of devotion."

We have an opportunity here and now to learn from this loss, and renew the boundless spirit of 

exploration present at NASA's beginning. We will do this by being accountable to the American 

people for our failings and, we hope, credible and compelling in pursuit of research, exploration, 

and inspiration for future generations.
Finally, during the 16-day STS-107 mission we had no indications that would suggest a 

compromise to flight safety. The time it took me to present this testimony is about the same amount 

of time that transpired between when Mission Control first noticed anomalies in temperature 

measurements and the accident.

I just paused for a few seconds. That's the same amount of time that transpired from Mission 

Control's last communication with the crew and our loss of signal with the heroic Columbia 

astronauts.

May God bless the crew of STS-107.