A thermal tile recovered near Fort Worth, Texas, shows unexplained orange flecks and signs of excessive heat damage.
JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, Texas (CNN) -- A digital videotape that recorded about 14 minutes of space shuttle Columbia's return to Earth was found in the wreckage of the orbiter, NASA officials and investigators said Tuesday.
The videotape, which was scorched and partially burned, was shot from the flight deck and shows the back of the crew's helmets and most of the flight deck, as well as the view out the window as plasma built up around the shuttle as it breached the atmosphere.
The video stops about 15 minutes before Columbia broke up as it headed to Kennedy Space Center in Florida, killing the crew of seven. NASA officials and investigators with the Columbia Accident Investigation Board said no problems or anomalies were seen on the videotape.
The tape included nine minutes shot before the "entry interface" and four minutes of re-entry, investigators said.
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