WIKIARCHIVES.SPACE

Members of the Columbia Investigation Accident Board, including the chairman, Adm. Harold Gehman, and U.S. Representatives Tom Feeney and Dave Weldon look closely at pieces of Columbia debris in the RLV Hangar. Recovery efforts as of May 5 included 82,500 pieces of debris weighing 84,800 pounds, almost 40 percent of the total dry weight of the shuttle. About 25,000 personnel took part, utilizing almost 1.5 million total man-hours in the recovery effort and involving more than 130 federal, state and local agencies. The operation was also supported by more than 270 organizations that included businesses and volunteer `groups`.