Posted: Thu, Aug 14, 2003, 2:21 PM ET (1821 GMT)
Email messages released by NASA earlier this week show that NASA’s top safety official was informed of issue about potential damage to Columbia while still in orbit, but like other NASA personnel did not consider it a major concern. On January 30 Johnson Space Center engineer Carlisle Campbell emailed Bryan O'Connor, NASA associate administrator for safety and mission assurance, forwarding him a message from another NASA engineer regarding an analysis of possible damage to the shuttle’s landing gear door caused by the impact of foam debris. O'Connor acknowledged the message in a reply the next day, saying that he had heard a little about the concerns beforehand, but wasn’t aware that a great deal of analysis had been required. A NASA spokesman said that O'Connor considered the message a courtesy from a former colleague, and not a request for help.

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