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Science

NASA Chief Vows to Change Agency Culture

August 27, 2003 • NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe promises to follow every one of the recommendations put forth by the Columbia Accident Investigation Board. The panel recommended both technical fixes and organizational changes in NASA's management style. O'Keefe says NASA is already working hard to make safety its top priority. Hear NPR's Richard Harris.

NASA Chief Vows to Change Agency Culture

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Science

NASA Faces Challenges

August 27, 2003 • An independent investigation board determines the Feb. 1 Columbia disaster was caused in part by mismanagement within NASA, and recommends changes the space agency should make before resuming shuttle flights. Some analysts say fixing NASA's culture will be the most difficult of space agency changes. Hear NPR's Richard Harris and Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-MI).

Shuttle Reaction

August 27, 2003 • NPR's Richard Harris reports on the recommendations suggested by the Columbia Accident Investigation Board in its report on the Feb. 1 disintegration of the shuttle. NASA is expected to fix the technical problems by next spring, in time to launch a new shuttle mission. More difficult will be making fundamental changes in NASA's approach to detecting and correcting problems.

Shuttle Reaction

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Columbia Accident Report

August 26, 2003 • On Feb. 1, the space shuttle Columbia broke up in the early morning sky on its return to Earth. This week, an independent group of experts releases the results of a seven-month investigation to find out why. Join NPR's Neal Conan and his guests to review the lessons learned from the Columbia tragedy.

Guests:

Richard Harris
*NPR Science Reporter

Harold Gehman
*Chairman of Columbia Accident Investigation Board
*Retired Navy Admiral

Douglas Osheroff
*Member, Columbia Accident Investigation Board
*Professor of physics and applied physics at Stanford University
*Winner of the 1996 Nobel Prize in physics, with two colleagues

Mae Jemison
*Former shuttle astronaut

Columbia Accident Report

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Weighing Hubble's Future

August 1, 2003 • The Hubble Space Telescope has produced phenomenal results since it went into orbit in 1990. But as the telescope ages, astronomers are divided on how long Hubble should be maintained, and when it should be retired. NPR's Richard Harris reports.

Weighing Hubble's Future

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Science

White House Calls for More Climate Research

July 25, 2003 • The Bush administration releases its latest plan to address climate change, and says more research is needed to inform policy decisions. Meanwhile, a report in the current issue of Science magazine analyzes how humans have been causing global climate change. NPR's Richard Harris reports.

White House Calls for More Climate Research

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Shuttle

July 23, 2003 • NPR's Richard Harris reports that NASA is still coming to grips with the decisions made prior to the Columbia shuttle disaster about the now infamous falling debris at liftoff. Tuesday, the leader of Columbia's mission management team Linda Ham explained why the event didn't get more attention.

Shuttle

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Science

Caribbean Coral Reefs Dying at Dramatic Rate

July 18, 2003 • A new study published online by Science Magazine offers the first broad view of the problem of dying coral reefs throughout the Caribbean. The study finds a dramatic decline over the last 25 years, mainly due to overfishing and pollution. NPR's Richard Harris reports.

Caribbean Coral Reefs Dying at Dramatic Rate

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Science

Investigators: NASA Needs Culture Shift

July 12, 2003 • The government committee investigating the Feb. 1 space shuttle Columbia disaster says failures in NASA's culture need to be addressed. Investigators ask why a loose piece of foam insulation, now thought responsible for the crash, was not considered a threat. NPR's Richard Harris reports.

Investigators: NASA Needs Culture Shift

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Science

NASA Urged to Develop In-Flight Shuttle Repair System

July 2, 2003 • Before shuttle flights can resume, the Columbia Accident Investigation Board says NASA must develop a system for repairing damage to the craft while still in orbit. Engineers are developing ways to fix the leading edges of the shuttle's wings. Investigators believe damage to this area led to Columbia's breakup in February. NPR's Richard Harris reports.

NASA Urged to Develop In-Flight Shuttle Repair System

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National

Columbia Shuttle Investigation

June 25, 2003 • The committee investigating the Feb. 1 Columbia space shuttle disaster recommends that NASA consider replacing delicate heat-shielding tiles on its shuttle fleet with tougher ones, and using stronger material for wing edges. But it also suggests that flights could resume in six to nine months, even if NASA does not address all the improvements before then. Hear NPR's Richard Harris.

Columbia Panel: Shuttles Could Resume within Year

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Scientists Decipher Y Chromosome

June 19, 2003 • Scientists have finally deciphered the chromosome that determines maleness in humans. There's no gene to explain why men insist on changing the TV channel all the time, but other secrets of the Y chromosome are revealed in new two studies. NPR's Richard Harris reports.

Scientists Decipher Y Chromosome

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Science

SARS Highlights Need to Address TB Pandemic

June 6, 2003 • After afflicting more than 8,400 people and killing nearly 800 worldwide, the daily count of SARS deaths and cases is showing a decline. But another respiratory disease, tuberculosis, rages on. Tens of millions of people have TB and millions more are at risk. NPR's Richard Harris reports.

SARS Highlights Need to Address TB Pandemic

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SARS at a Beijing School

June 3, 2003 • NPR's Richard Harris recently visited a school for autistic children in Beijing. After a student came down with SARS, school officials tried to quarantine everyone there, including the families staying with their children. But the families fled, taking their children and potentially exposing others in their home communities to SARS. The school's principal took matters into her own hands and reported the families to the police.

A Chinese School's Case of SARS

June 3, 2003 • At a school for autistic children in China, a volunteer falls ill with SARS. When parents ignore a quarantine and take their children home, school director Tian Huiping is faced with a difficult decision: should she report them to authorities? NPR's Richard Harris reports.

A Chinese School's Case of SARS

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