NASA

Orlando, FL: (Apr-16-07) An out of court settlement was reached between NASA and the family members of the astronauts who died on the space shuttle Columbia in 2003. Investigations showed that Columbia was brought down in 2003 because a piece of insulating foam broke off the shuttle during liftoff and caused damage. Searing gases penetrated the shuttle upon re-entry and it disintegrated over Texas killing all seven astronauts on board. The Orlando Sentinel also reported that two astronaut families had ordered preflight insurance policies through NASA, but the agency failed to obtain the additional coverage before the accident. The newspaper said all of the families had threatened to go public, before the agency paid those two families the additional insurance. The space agency agreed to pay the families a total of $26.6 million, obtaining the money through a congressional appropriation in 2004. [KNX 1070 NEWS: ASTRONAUT SETTLEMENT]

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Published on Apr-18-07