Columbia’s Data Recorder Recovered (images)

HOUSTON – Search teams near Hemphill, Texas yesterday recovered the Orbiter Experiment Support System recorder (OEX) from Columbia, and have sent it to NASA’s Johnson Space Center for cleaning and analysis.

The recorder, which stores sensor information about temperature, aerodynamic pressure, vibrations and other data from dozens of sensor locations on the orbiter, operates only during launch and re-entry. The OEX uses magnetic tape to record data that is not sent to the ground by telemetry.

The recorder was recovered fully intact and right side up, in damp ground on a slope. The connector side of the box was embedded in the ground about three inches deep. Investigators are developing a testing protocol to protect the integrity of the information on the recorder.

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