Columbia disaster aftermath probed

As the one-year anniversary of the Columbia space shuttle tragedy nears, Paul Dimotakis, Caltech’s Northrop Professor of Aeronautics and professor of applied physics, will discuss the accident and its effect on future space exploration. Part of the Watson Lecture Series, his talk, “The Shuttle Fleet, Columbia, and Present and Future Space Access” will take place Wednesday, January 26, at 8 p.m. in Beckman Auditorium.

Reliable and cost-effective space access is vital not only for military, communications, and scientific purposes, but also because it fulfills humanity’s wanderlust and need for exploration. Developed more than three decades ago, the shuttle contributed new dimensions to space access. Since then, however, not one but two shuttle disasters have tragically underscored the fragility of our technologies. Dimotakis will discuss Columbia’s fateful final mission, Caltech’s involvement in the follow-up investigation, and current and future alternatives for entering space.

Seating for this free public event is first-come, first-served, beginning at 7:30 p.m. For more information, contact Public Events at 1 (888) 2CALTECH, (626) 395-4652, or events@caltech.edu, or visit www.events.caltech.edu. Individuals with a disability can call 395-4688 (voice) or 395-3700 (TDD). All lectures will be available online at Caltech’s Streaming Theater, http://today.caltech.edu/theater.

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