The Orbiter Experiment Support System sits on the pavement after its arrival at KSC aboard a jet aircraft.

The Orbiter Experiment Support System (OEX) recorder from Columbia, in protective covering, sits on the pavement after its arrival at KSC aboard a T-38 jet aircraft. Search teams near Hemphill, Texas, recovered the recorder, which stores sensor information about temperature, aerodynamic pressure, vibrations and other data from dozens of sensor locations on the orbiter, operating only during launch and re-entry. The OEX uses magnetic tape to record data that is not sent to the ground by telemetry.