Shuttle Investigation

NPR | By Joe Palca

Published February 5, 2003 at 12:00 AM EST

NPR's Joe Palca reports that NASA has sent teams to California and Arizona to expand its ground search for debris from the space shuttle Columbia. Large pieces, possibly one or more engines, have been located in Louisiana. The loss of Columbia is forcing NASA to reevaluate the future of the international space station. The space station is not in immediate danger, because a Russian supply vehicle docked with it yesterday.

Joe Palca

Joe Palca is a science correspondent for NPR. Since joining NPR in 1992, Palca has covered a range of science topics — everything from biomedical research to astronomy. He is currently focused on the eponymous series, "Joe's Big Idea." Stories in the series explore the minds and motivations of scientists and inventors. Palca is also the founder of NPR Scicommers – A science communication collective.

See stories by Joe Palca

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