'Flawed' NASA blamed for space shuttle disaster

THE destruction of the space shuttle Columbia and the death of its seven astronauts were caused by a culture of 'self-protection' at NASA, investigators said yesterday.

The US space agency is driven by schedule, starved for funds and burdened with an eroded, insufficient safety programme, the investigation into the disaster revealed.

The Columbia Accident Investigation Board said the space agency's attitude toward safety is little improved since the 1986 Challenger disaster, which also killed seven, and that without fundamental changes more tragedies will occur.