Columbia probe prompts new NASA safety center

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- NASA announced plans Tuesday to set up a new safety center, staffed with seasoned engineers with the clout to stop space launches if they saw safety problems.

NASA chief Sean O'Keefe said the move was a response to criticism of the space agency by investigators probing the Columbia tragedy.

The safety center, to be based at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, will use the expertise of engineers across the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. "It is essential in my mind that they be very active participants in all the efforts running up to launch," O'Keefe told reporters.

About 250 safety center staff will have a strong voice at NASA's flight readiness reviews and will be able to halt space shuttle launches if they have safety concerns, he said.

Asked if the planned center was a response to criticism about NASA's management and culture by members of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, O'Keefe replied, "Yes indeed."

Some Langley engineers raised questions during Columbia's flight in January about the impact of foam insulation that struck the shuttle about 82 seconds after launch. They were told that analysis of possible foam hits indicated no threat to the ship or its crew.

Investigators now believe the foam damaged the leading edge of Columbia's left wing, allowing superheated gas to penetrate the craft on re-entry, ultimately causing it to disintegrate over Texas February 1. All seven astronauts were killed.

Without directly addressing the Langley workers' early concerns, O'Keefe, in a speech on NASA television, referred to a need to put their experience into practice.

He said Langley's new director, Gen. Roy Bridges, "will be thinking in terms of how you make this capability something that is not just a lot of folks that are observing and opining about what it is ought to be done right, who instead have a way of operationally making their presence known and their capabilities brought to bear."

Members of the Columbia board said last week management failures at NASA contributed to the shuttle's break-up, and expect that their final report will focus on needed management changes as well as the immediate cause of the tragedy.