Recovery of the Space Shuttle Columbia

The tragic loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia and her gallant crew touched millions of people, both in the United States and world-wide. Out of this sadness came a remarkable dedication to find out what had gone wrong and to safely return the Shuttles to flight. An overwhelming response was received from numerous state, local and federal agencies, all of whom wanted to aid the investigation any way possible. This genuine outpouring of support was no less evident in the private individuals who were only too happy to provide any form of assistance possible. While the recovery proved to be arduous and trying, far more evidence was recovered than expected. This evidence was the key to understanding what had gone wrong and what changes needed to be made to fly safely again. Literally thousands of people participated in the recovery of the Columbia. The Space Shuttle Mishap Investigation Team, though composed of only four members, provided the spark that started the investigation and maintained a unique position of oversight throughout the investigation.