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INVESTIGATOR: Shuttles Should Fly Again

Monday, May 19, 2003
(9:56 AM ET) (13:56 GMT)
Reuters

NASA officials have said they would like to see a flight before the end of the year, since they currently have no way to deliver water and other life-support to the two-man crew living on the station.

Columbia Accident Investigation Board Chairman retired Navy Adm. Harold Gehman Jr. addresses the media at the Kennedy Space Center Saturday. Looking on is U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney, right.
Image Credit: The Associated Press

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Reuters
The man heading the investigation into February's crash of the space shuttle Columbia said he saw "no showstoppers" that would prevent the remaining three shuttles from eventually returning to flight.

That was good news for NASA, which needs to fly shuttles to keep the $95 billion International Space Station program operating.

Retired Adm. Harold Gehman was at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday with six other members of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board to review the shuttle's wreckage.

"The board has not come across any showstoppers that in our minds would prevent the shuttle from returning to flight," Gehman said.
(More: CNN.com)
2003 © Reuters, Ltd.

Dan