NASA: Key launch pics not in focus
By Richard Stenger
CNN
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NASA shuttle flight manager Ron Dittemore
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(CNN) -- Launch photos that could have shed light on what brought about the loss of the space shuttle Columbia and its crew will not help the investigation because they are too blurry, according to NASA.
"It's a disappointment that the camera with the very best [launch] view turned out to be out of focus," shuttle flight manager Ron Dittemore said Thursday. "We've tried to look at alternate camera views, but we know we're not going to get the best view that we could have."
The shuttle, with seven astronauts onboard, broke up over Texas during a re-entry attempt on Saturday, shortly after experiencing high heat and air resistance on its left side and wing.
The possibility that a piece of external fuel tank foam struck and damaged heat-insulation tiles on the shuttle's left wing during launch was an early suspect.
Dittemore downplayed the scenario Wednesday, but said Thursday that no explanation had been ruled out and that foam debris would be studied vigorously.
"The analysis is starting anew," he told reporters at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. "We're still planning to conduct testing to better understand the foam and its potential impact."
The space agency plans to scrutinize every possible reason for what contributed to the re-entry breakup, based on debris on the ground, data from the shuttle and amateur videos and photos.
"We are getting thousands of pieces of information and the teams are working through each piece deliberately," Dittemore said.
Other suspects include a calamitous impact with a tiny meteorite and a blowout of the landing gear. Moreover, agency experts will review the flight history of Columbia, the oldest shuttle in the agency's fleet.
An independent board appointed by NASA chief Sean O'Keefe to investigate the Columbia disaster, and co-chaired by retired Navy Adm. Harold Gehman, began work Thursday with NASA investigators.
"It is with some relief, that I welcome Adm. Gehmen," Dittemore said. "We need their expertise and we will work closely with their board."
