The Loss of Columbia - Three Years Ago Today
Wednesday February 1, 2006
February 1, 2003 started on a bright note for the crew of STS-107 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia. It was time to come home. As Columbia was making final preparations for landing, their families were journeying to Kennedy Space Center to watch their loved ones’ homecoming. Columbia and her crew were scheduled to land at Space Center at 9:16 a.m. There was much excitement in both places. The shuttle was traveling at 12,500 mph, 18 times the speed of sound, 39 miles above the Earth, when people in Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana heard unusual sounds coming from the sky. By nightfall, with debris spread across a large portion of Texas and into Louisiana, search was put on hold until morning.
Read more about The Loss of Columbia.
Read more about The Loss of Columbia.
Image Credit: NASA
Black History Month
Celebrating African-Americans in Astronomy & Space, including Benjamin Baneker - First African-American Astronomer.
Elsewhere on About - African American Women's History
- Video: NASA released this Columbia Cabin Video taken by the crew during reentry.
- Memorial: Here is our Space Shuttle Columbia memorial - Celebrating the Lives of heroes.
- Poll: Should the Space Program Continue? Share your opnion in our Space Disasters Poll.
See What's Happening
Today in the News
- Melbourne Herald Sun - (Australia): Final space voyage
- Tucson Citizen: Eye on the moon: Liquid telescope for lunar surface studied
- USA Today: The 30-Year forecast: Predicting Titan's clouds
See What Happened
Today in History