Editing Space Shuttle Columbia disaster (section)

== Recovery of debris ==
[[File:Grid with Columbia's Debris - GPN-2003-00081.jpg|thumb|A grid on the floor is used to organize recovered debris|alt=Large area with tape outline of orbiter and debris on the floor.]]
[[File:Columbia's Main Engine Powerheads - GPN-2003-00076.jpg|thumb|alt=weathered piece of machinery sitting in the woods on some rocks|Recovered power-head of one of ''Columbia''{{'}}s main engines]]

After the orbiter broke up, reports came in to eastern Texas law enforcement agencies of an explosion and falling debris.<ref name="columbia_home">{{cite book |last1=Leinbach |first1=Michael D. |author-link=Michael D. Leinbach |title=Bringing Columbia Home: The Untold Story of a Lost Space Shuttle and her Crew |last2=Ward |first2=Jonathan H. |date=2018 |publisher=Arcade Publishing |isbn=978-1628728514 |location=New York}}</ref>{{Reference page|page=59}} Astronauts [[Mark Kelly (astronaut)|Mark Kelly]] and [[Gregory H. Johnson|Gregory Johnson]] traveled on a [[US Coast Guard]] helicopter from Houston to [[Nacogdoches, Texas|Nacogdoches]],{{r|columbia_home|page=61}} and [[Jim Wetherbee]] drove a team of astronauts to [[Lufkin, Texas|Lufkin]] to assist with recovery efforts.{{r|columbia_home|page=61}} Debris was reported from east Texas through southern Louisiana.{{r|columbia_home|page=96}} Recovery crews and local volunteers worked to locate and identify debris.{{r|columbia_home|page=93}}

On the first day of the disaster, searchers began finding remains of the astronauts.{{r|columbia_home|page=98}} Within three days of the crash, some remains from every crew member had been recovered.{{r|columbia_home|page=117}} These recoveries occurred along a line south of [[Hemphill, Texas]], and west of the [[Toledo Bend Reservoir]].{{r|columbia_home|page=123}} The final body of a crew member was recovered on February 11.{{r|columbia_home|page=131}} The crew remains were transported to the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology at [[Dover Air Force Base]].{{r|columbia_home|page=117}}

Immediately after the disaster, the [[Texas Army National Guard]] deployed 300 members to assist with security and recovery, and the Coast Guard [[Deployable Operations Group#National Strike Force (NSF)|Gulf Strike Team]] was assigned to help recover hazardous debris.{{r|columbia_home|page=104}} Over the following days, the search grew to include hundreds of individuals from the [[Environmental Protection Agency]], [[US Forest Service]], [[Civil Air Patrol]], and Texas and Louisiana public safety organizations, as well as local volunteers.{{r|columbia_home|page=119}} In the months after the disaster, the largest-ever organized ground search took place.<ref name="News Researcher">{{cite web |url=http://researchernews.larc.nasa.gov/archives/2003/050903/Search.html |title=In Search Of ...|publisher=NASA|date=2003|last=Roberts|first=Jim |access-date=February 9, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090320232815/http://researchernews.larc.nasa.gov/archives/2003/050903/Search.html |archive-date=March 20, 2009}}</ref> NASA officials warned of the dangers of handling debris, as it could have been contaminated by propellants.{{r|lossofsignal|page=145}}<ref name=DailyTelegraph>{{cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/1420965/Searchers-stumble-on-human-remains.html | work=The Daily Telegraph | first=Toby | last=Harnden | title=Searchers stumble on human remains | date=February 3, 2003 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170911233245/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/1420965/Searchers-stumble-on-human-remains.html | archive-date=September 11, 2017 | df=mdy-all | access-date=July 27, 2022}}</ref>

Soon after the accident, some individuals attempted to sell ''Columbia'' debris on the internet, including on the online auction website [[eBay]]. Officials at NASA were critical of these efforts, as the debris was NASA property and was needed for the investigation.<ref>{{cite news| title=Shuttle debris offered online| work=BBC News| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2720225.stm| date=February 3, 2003| access-date=July 27, 2022| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060923052013/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2720225.stm| archive-date=September 23, 2006| df=mdy-all}}</ref> A three-day amnesty period was offered for recovered orbiter debris.<ref name="wafb_amnesty">{{cite news
  | title = Amnesty Ending For Shuttle Debris Looters
  | work = WAFB
  | date = February 10, 2003
| url = https://www.wafb.com/story/1121247/amnesty-ending-for-shuttle-debris-looters/
  | accessdate = July 27, 2022
| archive-date = July 27, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220727191524/https://www.wafb.com/story/1121247/amnesty-ending-for-shuttle-debris-looters/
  | url-status = live
  }}</ref> During this time, about 20 individuals contacted NASA to return debris, which included debris from the ''Challenger'' disaster.{{r|lossofsignal|pages=118–119}}{{r|columbia_home|page=156}} After the end of the amnesty period, several individuals were arrested for illegal looting and possession of debris.<ref name="looters_guardian">{{cite news |last=McKie |first=Robin |date=February 9, 2003 |title=Shuttle looters arrested as search goes on |url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2003/feb/09/spaceexploration.columbia |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730134153/https://www.theguardian.com/science/2003/feb/09/spaceexploration.columbia |archive-date=July 30, 2021 |accessdate=July 27, 2022 |work=The Guardian |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

''Columbia''{{'}}s [[flight data recorder]] was found near Hemphill, Texas, {{convert|75|mi|km}} southeast of Nacogdoches, on March 19, 2003.<ref name="oex_cnn">{{cite news
  | title = Shuttle's data recorder found intact
  | work = CNN
  | date = March 20, 2003
| url = https://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/03/19/sprj.colu.data.box/
  | accessdate = July 25, 2022
| archive-date = January 16, 2022
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220116185318/http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/03/19/sprj.colu.data.box/
  | url-status = live
  }}</ref> ''Columbia'' was the first orbiter, and it had a unique flight data OEX (Orbiter EXperiments) recorder to record vehicle performance data during the test flights. The recorder was left in ''Columbia'' after the initial Shuttle test-flights were completed, and began recording information 15 minutes prior to reentry. The tape it recorded to was broken at the time of the crash, but information from the orbiter's sensors could have been recorded beforehand.{{r|columbia_home|pages=187–189}}<ref>{{cite news|url=http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts107/030319recorder/|access-date=February 1, 2013|work=Spaceflight Now|title=Data recorder recovered; could hold key insights|date=March 19, 2003|last=Harwood|first=William|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130203121644/http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts107/030319recorder/|archive-date=February 3, 2013}}</ref> Several days later, the tape was sent to the [[Imation Corporation]] for it to be inspected and cleaned. On March 25, the OEX's tape was sent to KSC, where it was copied and analyzed.{{r|columbia_home|page=190}}

On March 27, a [[Bell 407]] helicopter that was being used in the debris search crashed due to mechanical failure in the [[Angelina National Forest]]. The crash killed the pilot, Jules F. Mier Jr., and a [[Texas Forest Service]] aviation specialist, Charles Krenek, and injured three other crew members.{{r|caib_report|page=46}}<ref name="bell_crash">{{cite news |date=March 29, 2003 |title=Helicopters Are Grounded After Crash in Debris Hunt |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/29/us/helicopters-are-grounded-after-crash-in-debris-hunt.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109043410/https://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/29/us/helicopters-are-grounded-after-crash-in-debris-hunt.html |archive-date=November 9, 2020 |accessdate=July 25, 2022 |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |agency=Associated Press}}</ref>

A group of ''[[Caenorhabditis elegans]]'' worms, enclosed in aluminum canisters, survived reentry and impact with the ground and were recovered weeks after the disaster.<ref>{{cite news| title=Worms survived Columbia disaster| work=BBC News| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2992123.stm| date=May 1, 2003| access-date=July 25, 2022| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051106233827/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2992123.stm| archive-date=November 6, 2005| df=mdy-all}}</ref> The culture, which was part of an experiment to research their growth while consuming synthetic nutrients, was found to be alive on April 28, 2003.<ref name="cmu_worms">{{cite web
  | last = Hammond
  | first = Ruth
  | title = Worms Survive Shuttle Disaster
  | publisher = [[Carnegie Mellon University]]
  | date = 2003
  | url = https://www.cmu.edu/magazine/03fall/wormsurvive.html
  | accessdate = July 25, 2022
| archive-date = November 16, 2021
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211116220655/https://www.cmu.edu/magazine/03fall/wormsurvive.html
  | url-status = live
  }}</ref>

NASA management selected the Reusable Launch Vehicle hangar at KSC to reconstruct recovered ''Columbia'' debris. NASA [[Launch Control Center#Launch Director (LD)|Launch Director]] [[Michael Leinbach]] led the reconstruction team, which was staffed by ''Columbia'' engineers and technicians. Debris was laid out on the floor of the hangar in the shape of the orbiter to allow investigators to look for patterns in the damage that indicated the cause of the disaster.{{r|columbia_home|page=206–207}} Astronaut [[Pamela Melroy]] was assigned to oversee the six-person team reconstructing the crew compartment, which included fellow astronaut [[Marsha Ivins]].{{r|columbia_home|pages=210–211}}

Recovered debris was shipped from the field to KSC, where it was unloaded and checked to see if it was contaminated by toxic [[hypergolic propellant]]s. Each piece of debris had an identifying number and a tag indicating the coordinates where it was found. Staff attached photographs and catalogued each piece of debris.{{r|columbia_home|page=217}} Recovered debris from inside the orbiter was placed in a separate area, as it was not considered to be a contributor to the accident.{{r|columbia_home|page=209–210}} NASA conducted a [[fault tree analysis]] to determine the probable causes of the accident, and focused its investigations on the parts of the orbiter most likely to have been responsible for the in-flight breakup.{{r|columbia_home|page=215}} Engineers in the hangar analyzed the debris to determine how the orbiter came apart. Even though the crew compartment was not considered as a likely cause of the accident, Melroy successfully argued for its analysis to learn more about how its safety systems helped, or failed to help, the crew survive.{{r|columbia_home|pages=224–225}} The tiles on the left wing were studied to determine the nature of the burning and melting that occurred. The damage to the debris indicated that the breach began at the wing's leading edge, allowing hot gas to get past the orbiter's thermal protection system.{{r|columbia_home|page=232}}

The search for ''Columbia'' debris ended in May.{{r|columbia_home|page=203}} Approximately 83,900 pieces of debris were recovered, weighing {{convert|84900|lbs|kg}}, which was about 38 percent of the orbiter's overall weight. When the CAIB report was released, about 40,000 recovered pieces of debris had not been identified.<ref name="caib_vol2">{{cite web | last1=Barry | first1=J. R. | last2=Jenkins | first2=D. R. | last3=White | first3=D. J. | last4=Goodman | first4=P. A. | last5=Reingold | first5=L. A. | last6=Simon | first6=A. H. | last7=Kirchhoff | first7=C. M. | title=Columbia Accident Investigation Board Report. Volume Two. | website=NTIS | date=February 1, 2003 | url=https://ntrl.ntis.gov/NTRL/dashboard/searchResults/titleDetail/PB2004100867.xhtml | access-date=July 25, 2022 | archive-date=January 31, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200131172241/https://ntrl.ntis.gov/NTRL/dashboard/searchResults/titleDetail/PB2004100867.xhtml | url-status=live }}</ref>{{rp|1}} All recovered non-human ''Columbia'' debris was stored in unused office space at the [[Vehicle Assembly Building]], except for parts of the crew compartment, which were kept separate.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-jan-31-na-remains31-story.html | work=Los Angeles Times | title=Shuttle Columbia's Debris on View at NASA Facility | date=January 31, 2004 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221216112848/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-jan-31-na-remains31-story.html| archive-date=December 16, 2022|access-date=December 16, 2022 | df=mdy-all }}</ref> By the end of reconstruction efforts only 720 items remained classified as unknown.{{r|columbia_home|page=218}}

In July 2011, lower water levels caused by a drought revealed a {{convert|4|ft|m|adj=mid|-diameter|spell=in||}} piece of debris in [[Lake Nacogdoches]]. NASA identified the piece as a power reactant storage and distribution tank.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/08/02/texas.shuttle.debris/index.html |title=Space shuttle Columbia part found in East Texas |work=CNN|date=August 2, 2011 |access-date=July 27, 2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110802170346/http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/08/02/texas.shuttle.debris/index.html |archive-date=August 2, 2011}}</ref>
[[File:STS107 Columbia FoamStrike Test NASA SWRI NGRC.gif|thumb|Mock-up of an [[Space Shuttle orbiter|orbiter]]'s wing's leading edge made with an [[Reinforced carbon-carbon|RCC]]-panel taken from {{OV|Atlantis|full=no}}. Simulation of known and possible conditions of the foam impact on {{OV|Columbia|full=no}}'s final launch showed [[brittle fracture]] of RCC.]]