Houston
The leader of NASA’s space shuttle program is resigning, the Orlando Sentinel reported this week. Shuttle manager Ron Dittemore had been planning to step down after Columbia completed its flight on Feb. 1, but he decided to stay on after the craft broke apart as it returned from orbit, killing seven astronauts. “The accident was the wrong time to leave, so he rolled up his sleeves,” an associate said. Dittemore drew public praise for his candor in a series of briefings after the disaster, and for saying he should be the one held accountable if investigators find the accident was caused by something “we missed.”
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.
-
Ottawa Treaty: why are Russia's neighbours leaving anti-landmine agreement?Today's Big Question Ukraine to follow Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia as Nato looks to build a new ‘Iron Curtain' of millions of landmines
-
The week's best photosIn Pictures A strong kick, a T-Rex race, and more
-
Quiz of The Week: 28 June – 4 JulyHave you been paying attention to The Week's news?
