Theft of Debris from the Space Shuttle Columbia: Criminal Penalties

Abstract

The breakup of the Space Shuttle Columbia strewed debris over parts of the West and the South, and recovery of this debris was considered vital to the investigation into the Columbia's final moments of flight. Almost immediately after the breakup, however, press stories reported that members of the public were recovering pieces of Columbia's wreckage and converting them to their personal use. Even though the organized search for Columbia debris is winding down, prosecutions continue for stealing debris and new ones could possibly arise in the future. This report briefly describes possible criminal penalties for conversion of government property, and does not address issues related to the personal property of the Columbia's crew. This report will be updated as warranted.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 12, 2003
Accession Number
ADA461308

Entities

People

  • Andrew W. Murnane
  • Larry Eig

Organizations

  • Library of Congress

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accidents
  • Congress
  • Criminals
  • Department Of Homeland Security
  • Emergency Response
  • Governments
  • Information Operations
  • Law
  • Public Administration
  • Space Shuttles
  • Supreme Court
  • United States
  • United States Government
  • World Wide Web

Readers

  • Aerospace Engineering.
  • Educational Psychology
  • Government and Public Administration Law.

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Orbital Debris