INTRODUCTION

¶On January 28, at 11:39 a.m., the Space Shuttle Challenger and its crew suffered a tragic accident during launch. That same day the House of Representatives adopted H. Res. 361 which expressed the profound sorrow of the House for the tragedy and offered con- dolences to the families of the Challenger crew members.

¶During consideration of the resolution Chairman Fuqua informed the full House of Representatives that, in conformance with its oversight responsibilities, the Committee on Science and Technology would conduct a comprehensive investigation into the cause of this accident.

¶This report is the result of the Committee's inquiry. It contains the best efforts of the Committee to review the work of the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident (hereafter referred to as the Rogers Commission) and the work of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in investigating the causes of the accident, and reviewing the recommendations to resume safe flight.

¶In addition to reviewing the five volumes of the Rogers Commission Report, the Committee also had direct on-line access to the entire Rogers Commission data base, which included full-text and document retrieval capability.

¶The findings and recommendations contained in this report are the product of the Committee's own extensive hearing record,

¶' Report of the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident, Volumes I- V, Washington, D.C., J u n e 6, 1986. (Hereafter referred to as Rogers Commission Report.)

¶(1) which includes materials submitted for the record, staff investiga- tions, interviews, and trips.

¶It should be understood that the role of this Committee is different from that of the four-month Rogers Commission. The Committee, which authorized the funds and reviewed the lengthy development process which led to the successful Shuttle program, has a responsibility to insure that the tragic accident, and those events that led up to it, are understood and assimilated into all levels and activities of NASA so that safe manned space flight can be resumed.

¶In carrying out its annual authorizing responsibilities, the Committee endorses the programs and activities of NASA, and functions as a key player in the legislative activities of our federal system. As part of the fulfillment of this role, the Committee has reviewed the report of the Rogers Commission, called upon numerous witnesses, and utilized many members of its staff to prepare and review the material that has produced this report.

¶The Committee has been most fortunate in its work due to the diligent and thorough investigation undertaken by the Rogers Commission and the NASA investigation panels that supported the Commission. The Commission's exhaustive efforts to achieve completeness as it came to grips with a very complex technical and management system are very commendable, and will serve as a model for future Presidential Commissions.

¶The Committee wishes to express its appreciation for the assistance of the House Administration Committee, the Rogers Commission staff, and the Justice Department's Office of Litigation Support, Civil Division. Each of these groups was very cooperative and helpful in providing the access to, and equipment for, the Challenger accident data base needed by the Committee to do its work. In addition, the Committee very much appreciates the assistance of NASA personnel who responded to numerous requests for briefings and documents during the course of the investigation.