Anaheim (California, US), June 08: The widow of the commander of the Columbia space shuttle said that NASA needs to fly again, but she doesn`t want it to be "hammered" over irrelevant issues in the investigation of the doomed flight. "Fix it and fly again," said Evelyn Husband, wife of Rick Husband, who piloted Columbia on its final flight in February. "I would like for them to solve the problem so nobody ever has to go through this again."

Her comments came as the Columbia accident investigation board finished tests and began writing its report on the disaster, set to be completed by the end of July.

In a rare interview, husband, 44, said she isn`t bitter about the accident and doesn`t want the space programme to become a scapegoat.
"I don`t want to see NASA hammered over issues that are irrelevant or unfair," she told presspersons after a speech at the women of faith conference, which drew 9,000 people. "I just don`t want there to be a witch hunt just for the sake of a national television audience to see NASA get pummeled."

During her speech, husband recounted her final days with her husband and her memories of the shuttle accident. Since the tragedy, she has declined most media requests in order to concentrate o helping her children - 12-year-old Laura and 7-year-old Matthew - cope with the loss of their father.

February one, 2003 was "the worst day of my life," she told the audience.
Bureau Report