Sad days for another Doug...

[...] In televised comments memorializing the shuttle crew, Allen, R-Va., described a telephone conversation with the brother of mission specialist David Brown, an Arlington County native. Brown's brother Doug could not be reached for comment. Yesterday, Doug Brown sat in the first row of a national memorial at Johnson, along with his mother, father, two cousins and 22 other family members of Columbia's crew.

Just a few hours after the service, Allen spoke from the Senate floor. His comments were broadcast on C-SPAN2. According to Allen, Doug Brown told the senator that in private e-mail messages during the mission, his astronaut brother said the crew was "concerned" about the shuttle's left wing. Allen spokeswoman Carrie Cantrell confirmed that the senator stood by his recollection of the conversation.

In the conversation, Doug Brown said the crew photographed the left wing, which was struck shortly after launch by a piece of foam insulation that fell from one of the shuttle's external fuel tanks, according to Allen. Allen said Doug Brown told him he never received any such photos.

NASA "is trying to track what if any e-mails were sent to the family," said Jacobs. The agency is examining NASA computer equipment to see if the e-mails can be tracked, he said. NASA officials investigating the accident have said engineers initially dismissed the insulation incident, but in hindsight are reconsidering whether it might have damaged the craft and contributed or led to the catastrophe. Crew members were told about the insulation during the mission, according to NASA, but they were not alarmed by the falling debris, which had occurred on earlier missions.

"All indications that we had from the crew was that they were not concerned about the insulation strike and if there is new information suggesting otherwise we would be interested in hearing from the family," said Jacobs. [...]

from:
Allen: Crew worried about wing damage
Richmond Times-Dispatch, 5 February 2003