NASA News <br />National Aeronautics and<br />Space Administration<br /><br /><br />John F. Kennedy Space Center<br />Kennedy Space Center, Florida 32899<br />AC 321-867-2468<br />____________________________________________________________________________<br />_______________________________<br />For Release: Feb. 11, 2003 <br /><br /><br />KSC Contact: Bruce Buckingham <br />(321) 867-2468 <br /> <br />KSC Release No. 17 - 03<br /><br /><br />MEDIA INVITED TO COVER ARRIVAL OF COLUMBIA ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION BOARD AT<br />KSC FEB. 12<br /><br /><br />Media representatives will have the opportunity to cover the arrival of the<br />Columbia Accident Investigation Board, at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC)<br />Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) on Wednesday, Feb. 12. Retired Navy Admiral<br />Harold W. Gehman, Jr., board chairman and the other members of the board are<br />scheduled to arrive at the SLF at about 11 a.m. EST.<br /><br /><br />In addition, a media pool will be selected to accompany the board and<br />observe some of their activities during their visit to KSC Feb. 12 - 13.<br />Locations the board will tour include the Orbiter Processing Facilities, the<br />Vehicle Assembly Building, the launch pads and the Launch Control Center.<br /><br /><br />Media may also cover the board's departure from KSC Friday morning. The<br />current planned departure time from the SLF is 7:45 a.m. Friday, Feb. 14. <br /><br /><br />The independent board is charged with determining what caused the<br />destruction of the Space Shuttle Columbia and the loss of its seven-member<br />crew on Feb. 1 during reentry.<br /><br /><br />Board members accompanying Admiral Gehman are: Rear Admiral Stephen<br />Turcotte, Commander, U.S. Naval Safety Center, Norfolk, Va.; Major General<br />John L. Barry, Director, Plans and Programs, Headquarters Air Force Materiel<br />Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; Major General Kenneth W.<br />Hess, U.S. Air Force Chief of Safety, Washington; Dr. James N. Hallock,<br />Aviation Safety Division Chief, U.S. Department of Transportation,<br />Cambridge, Mass.; Steven B. Wallace, Director, Office of Accident<br />Investigation, Federal Aviation Administration, Washington; Scott Hubbard, <br />Director NASA Ames Research Center, Calif.; Roger E. Tetrault, former<br />Chairman of McDermott International, Inc.; Brigadier General Duane Deal,<br />Commander 21st Space Wing, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.; and Bryan D.<br />O'Connor, NASA's Associate Administrator for Safety and Mission Assurance.<br /> <br /><br /><br />NOTICE TO EDITORS: Media representatives wishing to participate should be at<br />the KSC Press Site by 10:15 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12, for transport to the<br />SLF. Media wishing to attend the Board's departure must be at the press<br />site by 7 a.m. Friday, Feb. 14.<br /><br /><br />STS-107 badging requirements and security restrictions for the media remain<br />in effect. Media parking will be at Gate 3 on S.R. 405. Additional<br />information regarding accreditation, transportation to the KSC Press Site,<br />and News Center operational hours is available by calling the KSC News<br />Center at (321) 867-2468.<br /><br /><br />-- end --