The Board identified a number of pertinent factors, which we have
grouped into three distinct categories:
1) physical failures that led directly to Columbia's destruction;
2) underlying weaknesses, revealed in NASA's organization and history, that can pave the way to catastrophic failure;
3) other significant observations made during the course of the investigation, but which may be unrelated to the accident at hand.
Left uncorrected, any of these factors could contribute to future Shuttle losses.
1) physical failures that led directly to Columbia's destruction;
2) underlying weaknesses, revealed in NASA's organization and history, that can pave the way to catastrophic failure;
3) other significant observations made during the course of the investigation, but which may be unrelated to the accident at hand.
Left uncorrected, any of these factors could contribute to future Shuttle losses.