A SPECIAL PULLOUT SECTION OF THE JULY 2003 JOHNSON SPACE CENTER ROUNDUP Columbia Search & Recovery A team of search and recovery workers combs a field near Corsicana, Texas. jsc2003-00155 Photo by James Blair OneNASA responds to tragedy in East Texas he NASA family came together as cohesively as it ever reassembling them and working with the Columbia Accident has in East Texas this spring as workers from virtually Investigation Board to determine the cause of the accident. T every NASA center helped organize and conduct the Many of the NASA workers were friends of the seven search for clues to Columbia’s demise. Astronauts lost after their ambitious 16-day science mission. “In all my years with NASA, I have never seen this Agency’s All of those involved, whether they were in Mission Control people band together as effectively as they have in responding on that fateful day or had no previous connection to America’s to this tragedy,” said Astronaut Jerry Ross, who took turns space program, dedicated themselves to the cause of “bringing with fellow Astronaut Dom Gorie to coordinate the day-to- Columbia home.” day search efforts. “These people worked very long days for “While we are saddened by weeks at a time away from the events that have led to this home without fighting, activity, we are all pleased with complaining or shirking their “We owe this to the children the cooperation, coordination, duty. They set an example that dedication and hard work that our entire country should of this world who will pick are being exhibited,” said strive to emulate.” up the torch and carry it Johnson Space Center’s Allen Based in cities like Lufkin, Flynt, one of three NASA Corsicana, Palestine, into the future.” Oversight Managers directing Nacogdoches and Hemphill, efforts from the Lufkin Texas, as well as Shreveport, La., employees from NASA and Command Center. Flynt took turns overseeing the effort with its contractors worked shoulder-to-shoulder with friends from Dave King of Marshall Space Flight Center and Mike the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Environmental Rudolphi of Stennis Space Center. “We’re also thankful for the Protection Agency, U.S. Forest Service, Texas Forest Service new friendships we’ve forged as our various centers, agencies, and others. In all, more than 90 local, state and federal organizations and personnel have come together to perform organizations responded to the challenges of searching a this difficult task.” 10-mile-wide, 240-mile-long corridor in East Texas and West “We owe this to our seven brave colleagues who died on their Louisiana by land, air and water. way home,” said JSC’s Dave Whittle, who led the initial They stretched those efforts as far west as the California coast, Mishap Response Team mobilized just minutes after Mission using ingenious methods to predict where Shuttle material Control declared a contingency, and spent time in both the might have landed as Columbia broke up during reentry on Barksdale Air Force Base, La., and Lufkin Command Centers. February 1. And then they shipped the pieces back to “We owe this to the children of this world who will pick up Kennedy Space Center, where their colleagues began the torch and carry it into the future.” The Columbia search and recovery effort: An overview By the Federal Emergency Management Agency The overwhelming response of the people of EastTexas and western Louisiana and the skill with which they responded in the n Feb. 1, when the Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart and fell across East Texas and western Louisiana, no one hours, days and weeks after the accident did not go unnoticed. Ocould envision the magnitude of the event and the tremendous number of people and agencies that would eventually become a part of the recovery effort. A network of teamwork time searched 12 hours a day, seven days a week. Camp crews were located at sites near Hemphill, Nacogdoches, Palestine and Shortly after the tragedy, President George W. Bush issued Facts concerning the Columbia emergency declarations for Texas and Louisiana. Within hours, Corsicana. Their goal was to find as much material as possible federal and state agencies deployed teams to the disaster area to before spring vegetation growth made the search more difficult. Shuttle recovery efforts* assist local fire, law enforcement and emergency management The U.S. Navy supervised the water search activities in Lake authorities. Initially, more than 60 agencies – including Nacogdoches and Toledo Bend Reservoir, located at the eastern After three months, search Under the FEMA Public Assistance volunteer and private groups – responded with personnel, end of the 2,400 square-mile search area. Beginning on Feb. 22, personnel recovered more than program, $10 million is the supplies and equipment. Disaster Field Offices (DFO) opened at 60 divers from the Navy, Coast Guard, EPA, DPS, Houston and 82,500 pieces of Shuttle debris amount projected for Texas to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana and in Lufkin, Texas, and Galveston police and fire departments, and Jasper County equaling a total weight of 84,800 reimburse eligible costs associated a satellite DFO was established in Fort Worth, Texas. The Sheriff’s Department combed the lakes using sophisticated pounds, or almost 40 percent with the recovery effort. As of Lufkin DFO was the regional center of all search-related sonar-equipped boats to help identify Shuttle material. of the total dry weight of the May 1, $3.98 million has been operations. Shuttle. obligated. For Louisiana, projected Search challenges reimbursable payments are The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Ground, water and air searches $500,000 while $396,000 has coordinated the response and recovery operations. NASA, with As in any operation of this magnitude, the hazards for all the combined covered more than been obligated. the assistance of the Texas Forest Service (TFS), the U.S. Forest searchers were challenging. Ground crews slogged though mud, 2.28 million acres. Service (USFS), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) dense vegetation and rocky areas; faced wild hogs, snakes and Water operations successfully Outside Texas and Louisiana, and many others, supervised the search for Shuttle material. other vermin; and dealt with the ever-changing weather. Divers identified more than 3,100 targets searches have been concluded reckoned with the murky waters of the East Texas lakes, along and covered 23 square miles. in New Mexico and California. From the beginning, the priorities for the agencies were three- with underwater forests and various submerged hazards. More than 16,500 ground search Searches continue in Nevada fold: ensure public safety, retrieve evidence – pieces of the personnel and their support and Utah. Shuttle that could ultimately determine the cause of the The crash of a Bell 407 helicopter on March 27 was a tragic personnel searched an More than 130 federal, state and tragedy – and reimburse expenses of state and local governments reminder of the inherent risks confronting Shuttle disaster unprecedented 680,748 acres. local agencies have participated in and private citizens who may have sustained property damage as workers in the field. Two members of the air search crew, Texas the recovery effort. a result of the accident and search. Forest Service employee Charles Krenek of Lufkin and pilot Total man-hours utilized in the Jules F. “Buzz” Mier, Jr. of Arizona, died while searching for recovery effort amounted to The operation was supported NASA quickly identified potential hazardous materials, such as debris over the Angelina National Forest in San Augustine approximately 1.5 million, by more than 270 organizations tanks containing toxic substances or unexploded pyrotechnic County, Texas. Three other crewmembers – Matt Tschacher, performed by approximately such as businesses and devices, and once found, the EPA secured and removed USFS from South Dakota; Richard Lange, United Space 25,000 personnel. volunteer groups. *as of May 5, 2003 hazardous material immediately. The EPA also worked with state Alliance, Kennedy Space Center; and Ronnie Dale, NASA, and local authorities to quickly clear school campuses and public Kennedy Space Center – were injured. access areas, and tested air and water samples taken along the flight path for Shuttle contaminates. Using the resources of the Air operations were suspended until it was determined that Emergency Response and Removal Service (ERRS) contractors flights could resume under the safest possible conditions. Air and the U.S. Coast Guard’s Gulf Strike Team, EPA found no searches resumed April 10. evidence of hazardous material in the atmosphere or drinking Saying thank you water supplies. The overwhelming response of the people of East Texas and Early in the recovery effort, teams from NASA, the Federal western Louisiana and the skill with which they responded in Bureau of Investigation, National Guard, Urban Search and the hours, days and weeks after the accident did not go Rescue organizations, the Department of Public Safety and unnoticed. NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe and other others conducted a successful search in East Texas to recover and officials made several trips to the area and spent time with bring home Columbia’s crew. community leaders and search crews in all of the operations. Three days after the accident, local fire, police, volunteers, Texas The Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Public Safety officers (DPS), Louisiana State Jim Moseley, and Dale Bosworth, Chief of the U.S. Forest Police, and EPA, USFS, TFS and National Guard units from Service, toured the sites, spending time in the field and thanking Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and New Mexico began clearing everyone for their help. Shuttle debris in high-traffic areas. A one-page set of guidelines Astronauts, who lost their friends and coworkers in the Shuttle prepared by the State of Texas, NASA and EPA enabled the tragedy, made themselves available for numerous evening teams to collect, document, tag and transport non-hazardous presentations at the base camps and tirelessly signed autographs debris without prior EPA or NASA clearance.