May 24, 2013
The board investigating the shuttle “Columbia” disaster split into three teams Tuesday.
Members will try to determine what might have caused a breach of the space shuttle's left wing.
All seven astronauts died when Columbia broke up over East Texas on Feb. 1.
The search for shuttle debris continues in an effort to help investigators learn what went wrong. The NASA-appointed board has publicly put forth just one hypothesis: that the superheated gases surrounding Columbia during its descent somehow penetrated the left wing.
The newest member of the 10-person panel, former Air Force Secretary Sheila Widnall, will join her colleagues later this week.
Additional members are being sought to include more scientific experts.
