Shuttle Investigation

By Richard Harris

Published February 3, 2003 at 12:00 AM EST

NPR's Richard Harris reports that the NASA investigation into Saturday's disintegration of the space shuttle Columbia is concentrating more closely on the landing gear compartment in the aircraft's left wing. There's increasing evidence that the problem started there. Before the spacecraft came apart, the left side of the shuttle, adjoining the wing, heated up by an alarming 60 degrees over a few minutes. The wheel well where the landing gear is stored during flight is especially vulnerable to heat.

Richard Harris

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.

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