The Space Shuttle Columbia disaster occurred on 1 February 2003, when shortly before it was scheduled to conclude its 28th mission, STS-107, the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas and Louisiana during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, resulting in the death of all seven crew members, including Indian American astronaut Kalpana Chawla. Debris from Columbia fell to Earth in Texas along a path stretching from Fort Worth suburb Trophy Club to Tyler, as well as into parts of Louisiana. The loss of Columbia was a result of damage sustained during launch when a piece of foam insulation the size of a small briefcase broke off from the Space Shuttle external tank under the aerodynamic forces of launch. Apart from Chawla, the other crew members on the ill-fated mission were Rick D. Husband, William C. McCool, Michael P. Anderson, Ilan Ramon, David M. Brown and Laurel Blair Salton Clark.
The crew of Space Shuttle Columbia's mission STS-107 take a break from their training regime to pose for the traditional crew portrait. Seated in front are astronauts Rick D. Husband (L), mission commander; Kalpana Chawla, mission specialist; and William C. McCool, pilot. Standing are (L to R) astronauts David M. Brown, Laurel B. Clark, and Michael P. Anderson, all mission specialists; and Ilan Ramon, payload specialist representing the Israeli Space Agency.
The above photo shows the logo of space shuttle Columbia, mission STS-107. Columbia broke up upon re-entry to earth February 1, 2003.
The Space Shuttle Columbia sits on Launch Pad 39A January 15, 2003 at Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Space Shuttle Columbia lifts off of launch pad 39-A from the Kennedy Space Center January 16, 2003 in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Astronauts onboard the Space Shuttle Columbia speak during an interview from space. From (L to R) are Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon, Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla, Commander Rick Husband and Mission Specialist Laurel Clark.
In this image from video, an object is visible falling from the Space Shuttle Columbia during liftoff on January 16, 2003 from the Kennedy Space Center, at Cape Canaveral, Florida. The area on the Shuttle from which the object fell is highlighted in the red circle near the shuttle's main engines.
In this handout image released by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), a view of the Earth is seen featuring the southeastern Mediterranean and northeast Africa/Middle East border photographed by an STS-107 crew member on board the Space Shuttle Columbia between January 16 and February 1, 2003. On February 1, 2003, the seven crew members were lost with the Space Shuttle Columbia over North Texas.
The crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia for mission STS-107, in the first row, Pilot William "Willie" McCool (L) and Commander Rick Husband (R), second row are Mission Specialists Kalpana Chawla (left) and Laurel Clark (R) in the last row, Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon, Payload Commander Michael Anderson and Mission Specialist David Brown walk to the launch pad on January 16, 2003 at Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Seven candles, each naming an individual astronaut, have been placed amidst flowers and flags as part of a makeshift shrine set up at the Johnson Space Center in Houston in memory of the crew of seven who lost their lives. The six Americans and Israel's first astronaut were killed when the space shuttle Columbia burst into flames and broke apart over Texas 16 minutes before it was scheduled to land at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
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