National

Ground Search for Columbia Debris Widens

By Joe Palca, Wade Goodwyn

Published February 4, 2003 at 9:00 PM PST

This story was published more than 21 years ago.

NASA officials expand the search for debris from the space shuttle Columbia in an effort to learn more about what caused the vehicle to break apart upon re-entry Feb. 1. At a memorial service in Houston, President Bush pays tribute to the seven astronauts who died. Hear NPR's Joe Palca and NPR's Wade Goodwyn.

National

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. From 2011 to 2020 he produced stories that explored the minds and motivations of scientists and inventors as part of his series, Joe's Big Idea. Palca is also the founder of NPR Scicommers – A science communication collective.

Wade Goodwyn

Wade Goodwyn is an NPR National Desk Correspondent covering Texas and the surrounding states.