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NASA Dismisses Foam Damage Theory

NASA officials back away from the theory that a piece of foam insulation, dislodged during Columbia's liftoff, caused the space shuttle's disintegration upon re-entry Feb. 1. As NASA continues its probe, engineers draw on risk assessments done after the 1986 Challenger explosion. Hear NPR's Richard Harris and NPR's Christopher Joyce.

Copyright 2003 NPR

Christopher Joyce is a correspondent on the science desk at NPR. His stories can be heard on all of NPR's news programs, including NPR's Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition.
Award-winning journalist Richard Harris has reported on a wide range of topics in science, medicine and the environment since he joined NPR in 1986. In early 2014, his focus shifted from an emphasis on climate change and the environment to biomedical research.