Watchdog says NASA made 'shocking' mistakes with Columbia | Houston Chron.

Aug. 7, 2003, 4:30PM

Watchdog says NASA made 'shocking' mistakes with Columbia
Reuters News Service
THE INVESTIGATION

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA made "shocking" and "disappointing" mistakes before and during the doomed Columbia flight, the watchdog picked by the space agency to monitor its return to flight said today.

Richard Covey, a former astronaut who was pilot of the first shuttle flight to follow the Challenger accident of 17 years ago, is co-chairman of the task group tapped by NASA to oversee the reforms expected after another panel completes its investigation of the Feb. 1 Columbia crash and turns over its findings to Congress later this month.

Covey told reporters at the Kennedy Space Center that he was not necessarily surprised that NASA suffered a second shuttle disaster, since "space flight is risky business and it will remain risky business." But he said he was disappointed there were so many management mistakes similar to those that preceded Challenger.

"Shocking? Yeah. Disappointing? Particularly when ... it has similarities to the Challenger accident," Covey said.

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