[20030612]RS21417_哥伦比亚号航天飞机碎片失窃：刑事处罚.pdf

1 This report was prepared under the general supervision of Larry Eig, Legislative Attorney.2 Also see CRS Report RS21408, NASAs Space Shuttle Columbia: Quick Facts and Issues forCongress. 3 The Space Shuttles Orbital Experiment Support System recorder (“Black Box”) was discoverednear Hemphill, Texas, on March 19, 2003. As of March 21, 2003, the Federal EmergencyManagement Agency (FEMA) reported that roughly 51,600 pounds of Columbia debris had beenrecovered. This figure represents approximately 23% of the Space Shuttles weight. Workerswill reassemble the pieces of the Columbia at Kennedy Space Center.Congressional Research Service The Library of CongressCRS Report for CongressReceived through the CRS WebOrder Code RS21417Updated June 12, 2003Theft of Debris from the Space ShuttleColumbia: Criminal PenaltiesAndrew W. MurnaneLaw ClerkAmerican Law DivisionSummaryThe breakup of the Space Shuttle Columbia strewed debris over parts of the Westand the South, and recovery of this debris was considered vital to the investigation intothe Columbias final moments of flight. Almost immediately after the breakup,however, press stories reported that members of the public were recovering pieces o