The overhaul of Columbia took a full 17 months to complete, and the Boeing official who oversaw the work expressed concern about some changes in the maintenance program that had been made to save money. His concerns were quoted in a letter in the Los Angeles Daily News on October 7, 2001.

NASA looked into replacing the aging shuttle fleet with an experimental design by Lockheed Martin, but announced on March 1, 2001 that they planned to upgrade their existing fleet instead. Did they? If so, why, and to what extent was the fleet upgraded? What was left undone?

So, is this a result of mismanagement of funds by NASA? Or is it a result of insufficient funding? A report from the General Accounting Office to Congress in January of this year said that NASA "continues to face challenges that threaten its ability to effectively run its largest program."

Others, such as Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Republican from Texas and member of the Senate subcommittee overseeing the space agency, expressed concern over NASA's history of staff shortages, as well as the struggle faced by the new administrator in trying to cope with cost overruns.

How will this disaster affect Capitol Hill's focus on other vital programs like tax cuts, Medicare reform, terrorism and the cost of war with Iraq?

Whatever the truth is discovered about the Columbia disaster, it has been a devastating blow to the space program, but it will be a tragedy of even more monumental proportions if we learn one day that the lives were cut short by those who cut corners.

We are either involved in a viable space program, or we're not. If we are, it must be sufficiently funded for safety, otherwise let's just tell the truth - it's not that important to us - and get out of the shuttle business. 

Seven precious lives were cut short as they journeyed toward home that day. Just a few more minutes and their mission would have been complete. I choose to feel these brave souls have found their ultimate home. We celebrate your courage, commitment and sacrifice. What you have done is surely beyond words. Peace be still.

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