NASA Hunts Debris, Tells Beachcombers ‘Hands Off’ : Could Hold Clues to Explosion

Debris found floating on the Atlantic was impounded today for investigation and NASA pleaded with beach “souvenir hunters” not to steal clues to the cause of space shuttle Challenger’s fatal explosion.

Protective tiles and other debris from Challenger washed up on the Atlantic beaches during the night and eight search ships and seven aircraft scoured a 5,500-square-mile area of the Atlantic for more traces of the spacecraft.

The Coast Guard said a pile of debris no larger than a compact station wagon had been found one day after the shuttle disintegrated in flames just 72 seconds after liftoff, killing all seven crew members.

“We’ve recovered dozens of pieces,” Coast Guard spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Jim Simpson said. “The largest is about 12 feet by 4 feet, but most are small.”

No Speculation

Twenty-four hours after the cataclysmic explosion that destroyed the speeding shuttle and killed its crew, shuttle chief Jesse Moore refused to speculate on the cause.

“It’s clearly too early for us to speculate,” he said. “We clearly don’t want to zero in on something prematurely and say that’s it and not get the prime cause.”

A memorial service for Challenger’s seven-member crew, including space teacher Christa McAuliffe, was set for Friday in Houston with President Reagan scheduled to attend.

In another development today, NASA officials said one of the doomed shuttle Challenger’s rocket boosters headed for a populated area after the initial explosion and had to be blown up by fast-moving safety officers.

Boiling Flame, Smoke

The shuttle was less than two minutes into its 10th mission when it disappeared in a mysterious burst of boiling flame and smoke that was equivalent to the explosive yield of a small tactical nuclear weapon.

The spaceship’s two corkscrewing solid rocket boosters--SRBs--were destroyed on ground command shortly after they went careening away from the falling debris of what remained of Challenger.

“The SRBs were destroyed by range safety actions some 20 or 30 seconds after the event took place,” said Richard Smith, director of the Kennedy Space Center. “There were indications that the trajectory of one of the solids was headed for a populated area, they took action to destroy it and that was appropriate.”

While the commands came after the explosion that destroyed Challenger and killed its crew, it was the first time in history that an auto-destruct signal was sent during a manned American rocket launch.

The Air Force would not say what “populated area” was at risk.

Impounded for Inspection

The initial batch of debris, in a yellow container, was removed by crane when the 82-foot Coast Guard cutter Point Robert docked at Port Canaveral today. NASA officials said the salvage will be impounded for inspection both at the cape and at Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Official estimates of ocean depth surrounding the impact site ranged from 70 feet to 200 feet, but shuttle chief Moore said he had heard the waters were as shallow as 30 feet.

Lt. John Philbin aboard the cutter Point Roberts said pieces of wreckage contained part numbers, which were relayed to NASA for identification. But he said “nothing really identifiable” had been recovered.

“For the most part the pieces were smaller than 4 by 4 feet,” Philbin said. “The colors were green and white and some black.”