Lawmakers question independence of shuttle probe

At the first congressional hearing into the Columbia space shuttle disaster Wednesday, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers strongly questioned whether a multi-agency special board created to investigate the disaster is truly independent of NASA.

NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe defended the independence of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, headed by retired Admiral Harold Gehman, during an extraordinary joint hearing of the Senate Commerce and House Science committees. "You have our assurance that this distinguished board will be able to act with genuine independence," O'Keefe said.

But that did not satisfy lawmakers gathered in the historic Senate Caucus Room. "Mr. O'Keefe, I'm afraid this won't pass anybody's smell test of independence," said Rep. Bart Gordon, D-Tenn., who argued that the board would have to coordinate activities with NASA. Gordon was not alone, but joined by others, including Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., who pressed for an independent presidential-appointed commission such as the one appointed by former President Reagan after the 1986 shuttle disaster.

"Agencies can't very well investigate themselves," he said. O'Keefe responded: "It's not a question of NASA investigating itself. It's an independent commission."

House Science Chairman Sherwood Boehlert, R-N.Y., asked NASA to change the charter of the investigation board to make it independent so there is no hint of any cover-ups in the probe. "The words of the charter simply do not guarantee the independence and latitude that both the administrator and the admiral have sincerely promised," Boehlert said.

The hearing broke no new ground in discovering what caused Columbia to break apart on its homeward bound entry on Feb. 1 after a 16-day scientific mission, killing all seven astronauts aboard. "I didn't hear anything new," Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz., told reporters during a break. "I didn't expect to." He said the Commerce Science, Space and Technology subcommittee will hold further hearings after it returns from next week's scheduled Presidents' Day recess.

House Science ranking member Ralph Hall, D-Texas, pressed O'Keefe on why NASA did not develop an escape system that could have saved the seven astronauts. O'Keefe said it was considered at one point, but abandoned because of weight factors that could have caused safety concerns. But O'Keefe would not rule out a future escape system, saying, "We will continue to look at that."