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American Morning
Discussion With Senator Bill Nelson
Aired June 13, 2003 - 08:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: NASA says it's extremely interested in talking to a woman who says she found a mini cassette that may have belonged to the Shuttle Colombia. The "Atlanta Journal & Constitution" reporting that that woman, living in Texas, called a newspaper asking for the number of the NASA tip line.
Meanwhile, at a hearing yesterday, investigators say they have discovered a new problem that could affect the return of the three remaining shuttles to space. The agency says that it's found a flaw in a part that is connected to the external fuel tanks during shuttle launches. It's called a bolt catcher. Investigators say it might not be strong enough to withstand the forces unleashed during launch.
That could allow a piece of debris to damage the shuttle and it weighs a lot. The impact would be tremendous.
With us live in Tampa, a law maker who flew on a 1986 shuttle mission.
Senator Bill Nelson of Florida is our guest again here on AMERICAN MORNING.
Senator, thanks for coming back.
Nice to see you and good morning.
SEN. BILL NELSON (D), FLORIDA: Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: Bolts may not be the most attractive topic. Nonetheless, it could be very significant. In your view, how much significance here?
NELSON: Well, it's another piece of the puzzle that we have to put together. It's doubtful that this is going to be the cause of the destruction of Colombia. But they did see on the launch radar a piece that was right at the time when the solid rocket boosters separate from the space shuttle about two minutes into the flight.
Then when they did their testing, Bill, you stated it very well, they found out that a part of that bolt catcher shredded and did not contain the bolt when it exploded to separate the solid rocket boosters. So that could be a potential very destructive force, especially for the future.
It's doubtful that that caused Colombia's demise, but that's clearly a return to flight issue.
HEMMER: Senator, it's 2003. What does it tell you that this problem is just being discovered now?
NELSON: Well, I don't think that we had any evidence in the past that there was a problem here. And that's why now discovering this in a test, is it a question of age? Is it a question of a design flaw? We had no evidence that I can find out of any shredding of this bolt catcher in the past.
HEMMER: You live in the state where many consider it Shuttle USA. Do you believe right now this program is in the twilight of its day? And what's wrong with exploring new technology to put the shuttle program in a phase-out system right now and bring in something new that might be much better suitable for the next, say, 10, 15, 20 years?
NELSON: Well, clearly we ought to be developing those technologies and we are pushing NASA to do that, from our standpoint in the Congress. But when you develop new technologies, it's going to be at least another 10, if not 15 years. So our human access to space is going to be the space shuttle for the foreseeable future and lord, I hope this isn't going to keep us grounded for a long, long time. But when we fly, Bill, we're going to have to fly as safe as possible.
What people have got to realize is that space flight is risky business and you'll never get a hundred percent safety. But clearly some of these mistakes that are coming out, they're unacceptable.
HEMMER: Senator Nelson, thanks for coming back here.
NELSON: Thank you.
HEMMER: We'll talk again as we learn more.
Senator Bill Nelson there in Florida.
NELSON: Thanks, Bill.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired June 13, 2003 - 08:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: NASA says it's extremely interested in talking to a woman who says she found a mini cassette that may have belonged to the Shuttle Colombia. The "Atlanta Journal & Constitution" reporting that that woman, living in Texas, called a newspaper asking for the number of the NASA tip line.
Meanwhile, at a hearing yesterday, investigators say they have discovered a new problem that could affect the return of the three remaining shuttles to space. The agency says that it's found a flaw in a part that is connected to the external fuel tanks during shuttle launches. It's called a bolt catcher. Investigators say it might not be strong enough to withstand the forces unleashed during launch.
That could allow a piece of debris to damage the shuttle and it weighs a lot. The impact would be tremendous.
With us live in Tampa, a law maker who flew on a 1986 shuttle mission.
Senator Bill Nelson of Florida is our guest again here on AMERICAN MORNING.
Senator, thanks for coming back.
Nice to see you and good morning.
SEN. BILL NELSON (D), FLORIDA: Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: Bolts may not be the most attractive topic. Nonetheless, it could be very significant. In your view, how much significance here?
NELSON: Well, it's another piece of the puzzle that we have to put together. It's doubtful that this is going to be the cause of the destruction of Colombia. But they did see on the launch radar a piece that was right at the time when the solid rocket boosters separate from the space shuttle about two minutes into the flight.
Then when they did their testing, Bill, you stated it very well, they found out that a part of that bolt catcher shredded and did not contain the bolt when it exploded to separate the solid rocket boosters. So that could be a potential very destructive force, especially for the future.
It's doubtful that that caused Colombia's demise, but that's clearly a return to flight issue.
HEMMER: Senator, it's 2003. What does it tell you that this problem is just being discovered now?
NELSON: Well, I don't think that we had any evidence in the past that there was a problem here. And that's why now discovering this in a test, is it a question of age? Is it a question of a design flaw? We had no evidence that I can find out of any shredding of this bolt catcher in the past.
HEMMER: You live in the state where many consider it Shuttle USA. Do you believe right now this program is in the twilight of its day? And what's wrong with exploring new technology to put the shuttle program in a phase-out system right now and bring in something new that might be much better suitable for the next, say, 10, 15, 20 years?
NELSON: Well, clearly we ought to be developing those technologies and we are pushing NASA to do that, from our standpoint in the Congress. But when you develop new technologies, it's going to be at least another 10, if not 15 years. So our human access to space is going to be the space shuttle for the foreseeable future and lord, I hope this isn't going to keep us grounded for a long, long time. But when we fly, Bill, we're going to have to fly as safe as possible.
What people have got to realize is that space flight is risky business and you'll never get a hundred percent safety. But clearly some of these mistakes that are coming out, they're unacceptable.
HEMMER: Senator Nelson, thanks for coming back here.
NELSON: Thank you.
HEMMER: We'll talk again as we learn more.
Senator Bill Nelson there in Florida.
NELSON: Thanks, Bill.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
