Columbia Accident Investigation Board Minutes of Open Meeting Date of Meeting: TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 2003 Time of Meeting: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon Location of Meeting: Hilton Houston Clear Lake 3000 NASA Road One Houston, Texas Board Members Present: Admiral Hal Gehman Major General John Barry Dr. Sheila Widnall Mr. Steven B. Wallace Dr. John Logsdon Dr. Sally Ride Dr. Douglas Osheroff Board Staff Present: Lt. Col. Tyrone Woodyard Terry Williams Patricia Brach J. William Sikora Other Government Employees Present in Their Official Capacity: None Members of the Public who Presented Oral or Written Statements: Richard D. Blomberg, President, Dunlap and Associates, Inc. Dan Bell, Thermal Protection System (TPS) Sub System Manager (SSM)for the Boeing company at Kennedy Space Center Gary W. Grant, systems engineer in the Thermal Management group for the Boeing Company at the Kennedy Space Center Matters Discussed: The history of proposed Shuttle performance and safety upgrades. Shuttle life extension options, including: Shuttle upgrade vs. evolution of a Shuttle derivative vs. development of a replacement vehicle. The safety record of the Shuttle in the context of its history as a developmental manned space vehicle. The need for up-front investment in order to prevent degradation of Shuttle safety. Various proposed Shuttle safety improvements, including: upgraded general purpose computers, improved main engine health monitoring, electric auxiliary power units, full crew escape system, global positioning satellite navigation, predictive instrumentation, and adding a fifth segment to the solid rocket boosters. The effect of privatization and the geographical relocation of contractor Shuttle support workforce on Shuttle safety. The history of debris hits on the Shuttle orbiter. Matters Resolved at the Meeting: None Documents Received, Issued or Approved at the Meeting: None Back to Event