Columbia panel to add more members
Posted: Sun, Feb 16, 2003, 9:20 PM ET (0220 GMT)
The independent panel investigating the shuttle Columbia accident will add three new members in the coming week, including a former Secretary of the Air Force. Harold Gehman, chairman of the accident investigation panel (AIB), confirmed this weekend that he will appoint three new members. One of the new members will be Sheila Widnall, a professor of aeronautics and astronautics at MIT who served as Secretary of the Air Force during part of the Clinton Administration. Gehman said that Widnall's expertise in aerodynamics was the reason why she would be joining the board. The other appointments are expected to be announced in the coming week. The appointments are designed to give the AIB additional expertise, but also have the effect of reducing criticism that the board is not truly independent of NASA. The original members of the board had been appointed by NASA and reporters later found that the one member appointed to the board since then, Roger Tetrault, had past business dealings with Sean O'Keefe.
The independent panel investigating the shuttle Columbia accident will add three new members in the coming week, including a former Secretary of the Air Force. Harold Gehman, chairman of the accident investigation panel (AIB), confirmed this weekend that he will appoint three new members. One of the new members will be Sheila Widnall, a professor of aeronautics and astronautics at MIT who served as Secretary of the Air Force during part of the Clinton Administration. Gehman said that Widnall's expertise in aerodynamics was the reason why she would be joining the board. The other appointments are expected to be announced in the coming week. The appointments are designed to give the AIB additional expertise, but also have the effect of reducing criticism that the board is not truly independent of NASA. The original members of the board had been appointed by NASA and reporters later found that the one member appointed to the board since then, Roger Tetrault, had past business dealings with Sean O'Keefe.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Saturday, March 20
Sea Launch Receives Court Approval for Additional Financing
Sea Launch — 8:28 am ET (1228 GMT) Nelson: Obama Made Mistake 'Cancelling' Constellation
Central Florida News 13 — 8:26 am ET (1226 GMT) Police still clueless
Express News Service — 8:24 am ET (1224 GMT) NASA's Ames director envisions role of 'interplanetary Internet'
San Jose Mercury News — 8:16 am ET (1216 GMT) NASA and NOAA's Environmental Satellite Now GOES-15
NASA/GSFC — 8:13 am ET (1213 GMT) |