spacetoday.net: NASA inspector general criticizes safety planning

Posted: Sat, Dec 13, 2003, 2:29 PM ET (1929 GMT)
NASA

NASA's inspector general has criticized the agency for diverging from a key recommendation by the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB). In a memo dated December 8, NASA Inspector General Robert Cobb said that NASA appeared to be taking a decentralized approach to its plans for establishing an independent safety office by having each NASA center establish its own separate office. This appears to be in conflict with the CAIB's final report, Cobb noted, which called for a single independent office with the ability to stop preparations for a shuttle launch if safety regulations are violated. NASA officials said they are still "midstream" in the development of their post-Columbia safety plan and will incorporate the inspector general's concerns into their approach.