Since the Columbia crash, it has been widely suggested that NASA knew, or should have known, about many potentially dangerous problems with the shuttle, including the vulnerability of its heat-resistant tiles and panels. Last week, the Associated Press reported that previous shuttle flights, including one by Atlantis in May 2000, had suffered damage when hot gases penetrated into the wing during re-entry, which AP said was “hauntingly similar” to what happened to Columbia on re-entry.
AP made much of the missed opportunity to understand the problem that led to Columbia’s crash. But accident inquiry chairman Hal Gehman says the board…
