NASA Casts Doubt on Foam Theory

Feb. 5 -- The leading theory of what began the tragic chain of events that destroyed the space shuttle Columbia — a piece of foam debris that struck the shuttle during liftoff — was cast into doubt by NASA this afternoon.

Initially, NASA investigators were pursuing a theory that a 20-inch, nearly 3-pound chunk of foam that broke off and struck the underside of the left wing of Columbia during its launch may have started the chain of events that led to its breakup after re-entering the Earth's orbit Saturday, killing all seven astronauts aboard. But today, space shuttle program manager Ron Dittemore told reporters at a press conference that investigators are "looking somewhere else" after conducting a study of the damage possible from the fall of a 20-inch chunk of foam insulation.

"It doesn't make sense to us that a piece of debris could bethe root cause of the loss of Columbia and its crew," Dittemoresaid. "There's got to be another reason."

Dittemore said investigators are looking for a "missing link" that could explain the sharp temperature rise on the left side of the craft before the shuttle broke up.

"Was there another event [sign of damage] that went undetected?" Dittemore asked."We're focusing on what we didn't see."

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In recent days, there has been speculation that thechunk of foam was coated or infused with ice, which could haveincreased its weight and destructiveness. But Dittemore discounted that theory.

"I don't think it's ice. I don't think there's an embedded icequestion here," Dittemore said, adding that the foam iswater-resistant and that an inspection team found no ice conditionsthat day. "So it is something else."

Dittemore said investigators are focusing more closely on the desperate effort of Columbia's automatic control system to hold the speed of the spacecraft stabledespite an increasing level of wind resistance, or drag, on the left wing. Still, he added, investigators have many other areas and potential theories to pursue.