EP77 Crisis Communications at NASA, part 3: The Columbia response and investigation

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A shuttle breaks apart on re-entry, the world demands answers, and the people closest to the story have to decide what transparency actually looks like when an investigation is just getting started. We pick back up with James Hartsfield, former director of communications for NASA’s Johnson Space Center, to talk through what happened after Columbia’s first, intense week of press briefings and why it was essential for the Columbia Accident Investigation Board to take the communications lead. That handoff isn’t just process, it’s credibility, and it’s a reminder that you can’t invent trust in the middle of a crisis.

We also get into the messier modern reality: crisis communications with partners. International cooperation on the ISS set the stage for commercial spaceflight, where companies have proprietary constraints but NASA still owes the public clear, honest answers when astronauts are involved. Using the Boeing Starliner situation as a lens, we break down how “stranded crew” became a headline, why that framing can be misleading, and how leaders can correct the record without fanning the flames. If you care about crisis leadership, reputation management, and clear communication under pressure, this conversation delivers hard-earned lessons you can use anywhere.

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