Posted: Wed, Jul 16, 2003, 10:24 AM ET (1424 GMT)
NASA announced on Tuesday the creation of a new independent engineering and safety office designed to ensure the safety of the shuttle and other programs. The office will provide independent safety reviews of critical NASA programs, including the shuttle. The Columbia Accident Investigation Board has found that such independent reviews were lacking at NASA and contributed to the accident. The office would also have the power to block a shuttle launch if it felt there was an unresolved safety concern. The office will be located at NASA's Langley Research Center in Virginia and will report to new center director Roy Bridges, a former astronaut and KSC director, and Bryan O'Connor, another former astronaut who is associate administrator for NASA's Office of Safety and Mission Assurance. The head of the new 250-person office was not announced Tuesday but earlier reports indicated that Ralph Roe, a former shuttle manager, would lead the office.
