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5 Years After: NASA Remembers Columbia Crew

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Feb 1, 2008 8:54 am US/Eastern

5 Years After: NASA Remembers Columbia Crew

CAPE CANAVERAL (CBS4) ― The crew of the space shuttle Columbia, which disintegrated in the skies over Texas, killing all seven crew members are being remembered Friday, five years to the day after the disaster.

NASA will remember the crew during a memorial service at the Kennedy Space Center. The widow of Columbia commander Rick Husband is scheduled to speak, along with the NASA administrator.

An investigation revealed a suitcase-sized piece of insulating foam had ripped away from Columbia during launch and punched a hole in the left wing. During re-entry, the hole allowed in super-hot gases that melted the wing.

The current shuttle program manager says he still thinks about Columbia every day and how to "prevent similar events." Wayne Hale says the NASA culture has changed so that it now listens to all who are concerned about possible safety problems.

Next week, the space agency is set to launch shuttle Atlantis to the international space station.

(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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