Key Shuttle Debris May be Lost Forever
The space shuttle Columbia started shedding debris as it flew over California, but these crucial first pieces may never be found, because they probably burned up in the atmosphere. To survive the descent to the ground, debris would have “to be a pretty substantial piece of the shuttle itself,” says Jim Hallock, of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board. This means that the reason for the breakup of the shuttle may never be known.
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