HEMPHILL, Texas - The landing gear for the space shuttle Columbia's nose has been found largely intact in the woods near Toledo Bend Reservoir, officials said yesterday.
Navy Capt. Chris Murray said residents found the gear Tuesday and notified divers who were searching the East Texas lake for shuttle debris. NASA identified the object as Columbia's nose gear.
Also, a cylindrical hunk of metal found in the reservoir last week was identified by NASA yesterday as part of Columbia's brake assembly.
Johnson Space Center spokeswoman Eileen Hawley said it is unclear whether the nose gear could help determine what destroyed the shuttle Feb. 1. Investigators are looking at whether a breach in Columbia's left wing played a part.
The 8-foot piece of debris, with wheels still on their hubs, was found in the dirt, said Navy Chief Warrant Officer Roger Riendeau.
Divers and officials with the Navy, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Galveston and Houston police departments continued searching the lake for pieces of the shuttle. Witnesses reported seeing large pieces splash into the water.
Diving is expected to continue for the next 45 days, NASA spokeswoman Kathy Barnstorff said yesterday.
The search has been frustrated by bad weather and murky water with a visibility of only 20 inches. Divers have found only Columbia's brake assembly.
The bottom of the reservoir on the Texas-Louisiana line is a forest littered with barns and mailboxes left behind when the area was flooded.
"It's really the worst underwater search environment you can find," said Navy Capt. Jim Wilkins, who is supervising salvage and diving operations.
The longer the search drags on, the more officials are beginning to question reports from fishermen who said a "big chunk" of debris, perhaps the size of a car, hit the lake.
Navy Capt. Chris Murray said residents found the gear Tuesday and notified divers who were searching the East Texas lake for shuttle debris. NASA identified the object as Columbia's nose gear.
Also, a cylindrical hunk of metal found in the reservoir last week was identified by NASA yesterday as part of Columbia's brake assembly.
Johnson Space Center spokeswoman Eileen Hawley said it is unclear whether the nose gear could help determine what destroyed the shuttle Feb. 1. Investigators are looking at whether a breach in Columbia's left wing played a part.
The 8-foot piece of debris, with wheels still on their hubs, was found in the dirt, said Navy Chief Warrant Officer Roger Riendeau.
Divers and officials with the Navy, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Galveston and Houston police departments continued searching the lake for pieces of the shuttle. Witnesses reported seeing large pieces splash into the water.
Diving is expected to continue for the next 45 days, NASA spokeswoman Kathy Barnstorff said yesterday.
The search has been frustrated by bad weather and murky water with a visibility of only 20 inches. Divers have found only Columbia's brake assembly.
The bottom of the reservoir on the Texas-Louisiana line is a forest littered with barns and mailboxes left behind when the area was flooded.
"It's really the worst underwater search environment you can find," said Navy Capt. Jim Wilkins, who is supervising salvage and diving operations.
The longer the search drags on, the more officials are beginning to question reports from fishermen who said a "big chunk" of debris, perhaps the size of a car, hit the lake.