NASA astronaut describes for students how 'test to failure' protected shuttle after Columbia loss

By Anne Ju

NASA astronaut and engineer Charles Camarda visited a Cornell engineering class Nov. 21 to recount his experiences onboard Discovery, the first space shuttle mission following the 2003 loss of Columbia and its seven crew members. He also discussed his role in the Columbia accident investigation.

Camarda described for the Collaborative Engineering Design class how teams conducted analyses and tests to improve understanding of what caused the accident and designed new safety measures for future missions.

The course, cross-listed between mechanical and civil engineering, is a collaborative effort with Syracuse University that is funded by NASA, and it requires students to design parts of a space vehicle. The partnership was established in 2001 and continues to be led by Alan Zehnder, professor of theoretical and applied mechanics.

Full article here:

http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/Dec06/nasa.engr.aj.html