Of Technology and Torts

Originally Published MX March/April 2003

EDITOR'S PAGE

On the morning of February 1, Americans awoke to the disturbing news that the nation's space program had suffered a profound tragedy. Streaking across the crisp blue sky of the American Southwest toward a landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the space shuttle Columbia had suddenly disintegrated, killing all seven of the astronauts aboard and scattering remnants of the spacecraft across several states.

In the weeks since that tragic accident, NASA engineers have been working diligently to understand what went wrong to cause the shuttle to burn up on reentry. Overseen by an independent investigative board, NASA's inquiries are expected to take several months.