The results of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board's test, released late Thursday, showed a piece of foam identical to the fragment that struck Columbia's left wing during its January 16 launch could have caused a joint known as a T-seal between panels on the wing to shift, creating a hole up to 0.6 centimeters (0.2 inches) wide and 55 centimeters (21 inches) long.

In the simulation, investigators hurled a 750-gram (26-ounce) piece of foam against a fiberglass replica of the wing at a speed of 850 kilometers per hour (530 miles per hour).

The investigation board said it "has not reached any final conclusions and has not determined the cause of the loss of the shuttle and crew."

However, the results of the test and the shuttle's temperature data prior to the disaster appear to be leaning toward the theory that a hole in the wing left it vulnerable to extremely high temperatures that caused the shuttle to break apart on February 1, killing all seven crew members on board.

The board will issue its final report later this summer.

SPACE.WIRE