Shuttle report released
The week's news at a glance.
Washington, D.C.
The accident that killed seven astronauts aboard the space shuttle Columbia was caused by a NASA culture that focused too much on meeting its schedule, and not enough on safety, investigators said this week. “If these persistent, systemic flaws are not resolved,” the report said, “the scene is set for another accident.” The Columbia Accident Investigation Board, as expected, concluded in its final report that the Columbia broke apart on re-entry on Feb. 1 because a breakaway piece of foam insulation had punched a hole in the left wing during liftoff. Officials at the space agency conceded that they blew opportunities to determine whether the strike had damaged the shuttle’s heat shield and put the astronauts at risk. “We missed it,” NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe told CNN. “We flat missed it.” The report said the space agency’s attitude toward safety has improved little since the 1986 Challenger disaster, which also claimed seven lives.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Why are student loan borrowers falling behind on payments?
Today's Big Question Delinquencies surge as the Trump administration upends the program
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Not there yet: The frustrations of the pocket AI
Feature Apple rushes to roll out its ‘Apple Intelligence’ features but fails to deliver on promises
By The Week US Published
-
George Foreman: The boxing champ who reinvented home grills
Feature He helped define boxing’s golden era
By The Week US Published