Washington ? Before the shuttle mission preceding Columbia’s fateful flight, NASA flagged as a major concern a loss of foam in the same area on fuel tanks where investigators now believe debris broke away and smashed against Columbia’s left wing.

The space agency concluded that damage from such breakaway foam did not threaten shuttle safety and determined the fuel tank attached to Endeavour was “safe to fly with no new concerns and no added risk,” according to newly released documents from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

The documents revealed for the first time some of NASA’s reasons for deciding months ago that such risks of damage were insufficient to delay shuttle launches, even as agency officials already were looking into what they perceived as a frustrating, recurring problem.

The findings were included in more than 1,000 pages of internal reports NASA released late Thursday night about the most recent shuttle missions. The agency also disclosed other documents Friday showing that senior shuttle managers did not appear worried about possible damage to Columbia’s wing from the foam strike.

Notes from five meetings during the 16-day mission showed that managers hardly mentioned the subject and largely dismissed it Jan. 27 as “not a safety-of-flight concern.” When they did consider the foam strike, during their Jan. 21 meeting, it was the final agenda item — after discussions about minor water leaks and a broken camera on board.

Managers seemed far more worried during these meetings about Columbia’s unusually heavy weight — at 234,011 pounds — and the possible effect on the shuttle’s flying characteristics, airframe stress and landing tires. They indicated a safety waiver was required for any shuttle landing over 233,000 pounds, but noted that other shuttles had landed with more weight.

Investigators believe insulating foam that struck Columbia’s left wing on liftoff peeled away from the same region of the external fuel tank, called its bipod ramp. That may have damaged delicate protective tiles on the wing and allowed superheated air to fatally penetrate the spacecraft during its fiery re-entry on Feb. 1.

The bipod is a V-shaped structure connecting Columbia near its nose landing gear to the orange-colored external fuel tank. Metal attachments on the tank are covered with ramp-shaped insulating foam that protrudes noticeably from the tank’s surface.

Tank specialists at NASA identified the foam problem on Oct. 31, 2002, as their only “special topic” of concern prior to the liftoff of Endeavour on Nov. 23, the shuttle flight immediately preceding Columbia’s. They cited troubling reports on three earlier missions of foam breaking away from the tank’s bipod ramp.

But they defended NASA’s work, saying the foam was applied with proven craftsmanship by “experienced practitioners.”