spacetoday.net: NASA adjusts independent panel after Congressional criticism

Posted: Thu, Feb 13, 2003, 8:54 AM ET (1354 GMT)
Sean O'Keefe (White House)

NASA announced late Tuesday that it was making several changes to ensure the independence of the panel investigating the loss of the space shuttle Columbia after criticism from several members of Congress. NASA released a letter late Tuesday from administrator Sean O'Keefe to Admiral Harold Gehman, chair of the Accident Investigation Board (AIB). In that letter, O'Keefe said he had amended the charter of the AIB to remove "any reference of NASA oversight or review" of the AIB's work, removed the schedule for completing the investigation, and provided for a public release of the report once completed. Those amendments were made after O'Keefe appeared before a joint Congressional hearing about the accident Wednesday morning. At the hearing several members of Congress, including Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY), chairman of the House Science Committee, expressed skepticism that the AIB could truly be independent.