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Engineering Detectives Start Piecing Together Evidence From Doomed Space Shuttle Columbia

The focus for now is whether insulation that broke loose from a fuel tank during the shuttle Columbia's ascent on Jan. 16 damaged heat-protecting tiles, ultimately dooming the shuttle's return to earth 16 days later.
The manufacturer of the fuel tank disclosed Sunday that NASA used an older version of the tank, which the space agency began phasing out in 2000.
NASA's preflight press information stated the shuttle was using one of the newer super-lightweight fuel tanks.
Harry Wadsworth, a spokesman for Lockheed, the tank maker, said most shuttle launches use the "super-lightweight" tank and the older version is no longer made. Wadsworth said he did not know if there was a difference in how insulation was installed on the two types of tanks.