The Inspector General Act of 1978 created independent audit and investigative units,
called Offices of Inspector General (OIG’s), at a number of Federal agencies. The OIG
prevents and detects crime, fraud, waste, and abuse and assists NASA management in promoting
economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in Agency programs and operations. The OIG is also
responsible for keeping the Agency head and Congress fully and currently informed of problems
in Agency programs and operations.
We are in the process of reviewing our body of work to ascertain whether it contains any
clues or information that would assist in ascertaining the cause of the loss of the Space
Shuttle Columbia. So far, we have found nothing in our reports that would lead us to the
conclusion that the decision to launch the mission was flawed. We have also found nothing
that would have affirmatively led us to recommend to the Administrator that the mission be
postponed. Our review continues.
We are already utilizing our resources to assist NASA in its recovery efforts. Our agents
are assisting NASA security, law enforcement, and first responders in retrieving government
property associated with the incident and ensuring that unauthorized persons do not take
possession of accident debris. We also plan to closely track the official Agency
investigation as it unfolds, to assure the Administrator, the Congress, and the taxpayers
that all issues associated with the Columbia tragedy are satisfactorily dispositioned. The
Inspector General is serving as an observer on the Columbia Accident Investigation Board.
We once again wish to remind the public that debris associated with the Columbia mission is
United States government property and may be critical to the investigation of the shuttle
accident. If you should discover any debris, we ask that you immediately contact the Johnson
Space Center Emergency Operations Center at (281) 483-3388 so that evidence critical to the
investigation can be appropriately safeguarded. Any unlawful possession of Columbia-related
property will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Members of the public should report
any unauthorized activity regarding debris from the loss of Columbia, including theft, to
https://columbia-hotline.hq.nasa.gov.
Rev. February 6, 2003