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Columbia Disaster Timeline

(January 16, 2003 – February 1, 2003)

The Columbia disaster occurred on February 1, 2003, when the Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart during re-entry into Earth's atmosphere at the end of mission STS-107, killing all seven crew members. The tragedy was caused by damage to the shuttle's left wing from a piece of insulating foam that broke off the external fuel tank during launch sixteen days earlier. Less

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Columbia's History

Shuttle program operating costs lowered by 21%

1991 - 1994

Program operating costs were lowered by 21% from 1991 to 1994, despite a planned increase in the yearly flight rate for assembly of the International Space Station.

Image source: Space Shuttle program

Shuttle program operating costs lowered by 21%

Thicker RCC panels installed on Columbia

1998

Thicker reinforced carbon-carbon (RCC) was developed and installed in 1998 to prevent damage from micrometeoroid and orbital debris.

Image source: Space Shuttle thermal protection system

Thicker RCC panels installed on Columbia

STS-107 crew selected

Jul 2000

The seven-member crew of STS-107 were selected in July 2000 for what would become Columbia's final mission.

Image source: STS-107

STS-107 crew selected

STS-107 launch delayed thirteen times

Jan 11, 2001 - Jan 16, 2003

The mission was originally scheduled to launch on January 11, 2001, but it was delayed thirteen times, until its launch on January 16, 2003.

Foam strike damages Atlantis during STS-112

Oct 2002

During STS-112, which flew in October 2002, a 4-by-5-by-12-inch chunk of bipod ramp foam broke away from the external tank bipod ramp and hit the SRB-ET attachment ring near the bottom of the left SRB, creating a dent 4 inches wide and 3 inches deep.

Image source: STS-112

Foam strike damages Atlantis during STS-112

Aftermath and Memorials

Seven asteroids named after STS-107 astronauts

Jul 2001

Seven asteroids discovered in July 2001 were later named after the astronauts: 51823 Rickhusband, 51824 Mikeanderson, 51825 Davidbrown, 51826 Kalpanachawla, 51827 Laurelclark, 51828 Ilanramon, and 51829 Williemccool.

Image source: Space Shuttle Columbia disaster

Seven asteroids named after STS-107 astronauts

Amarillo airport renamed Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport

2003

In 2003, the airport in Amarillo, Texas, where Commander Rick Husband was from, was renamed to the Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport.

Image source: Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport

Amarillo airport renamed Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport

Colorado mountain peak renamed Columbia Point

2003

A mountain peak in the Sangre de Cristo Range in the Colorado Rockies was renamed Columbia Point in 2003.

Bush memorial service at Johnson Space Center

Feb 4, 2003

On February 4, 2003, President Bush and his wife Laura led a memorial service for the astronauts' families at the Johnson Space Center.

Metsat-1 renamed Kalpana-1 after Chawla

Feb 5, 2003

The first dedicated meteorological satellite launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Metsat-1, was renamed to Kalpana-1 on February 5, 2003, after astronaut Kalpana Chawla.

Image source: Kalpana-1

Metsat-1 renamed Kalpana-1 after Chawla

Astros honor crew with seven first pitches

Apr 1, 2003

On April 1, 2003, the Opening Day of baseball season, the Houston Astros honored the Columbia crew by having seven simultaneous first pitches thrown by family and friends of the crew.

Crew names added to Space Mirror Memorial

Oct 28, 2003

On October 28, 2003, the names of the crew were added to the Space Mirror Memorial at the KSC Visitor Complex in Merritt Island, Florida, alongside the names of 17 other astronauts and cosmonauts who have died in the line of duty.

Image source: Space Mirror Memorial

Crew names added to Space Mirror Memorial

Documentary "Columbia: The Tragic Loss" released

2004

In 2004, the documentary Columbia: The Tragic Loss was released; it told of the life of Ilan Ramon and focused on the issues in NASA management that led to the disaster.

"Comm Check: The Final Flight of Shuttle Columbia" released

2004

In 2004, two space journalists, Michael Cabbage and William Harwood, released their book, Comm Check: The Final Flight of Shuttle Columbia.

Image source: Space Shuttle Columbia disaster

"Comm Check: The Final Flight of Shuttle Columbia" released

Posthumous Congressional Space Medals of Honor conferred

2004

In 2004, Bush conferred posthumous Congressional Space Medals of Honor to all 14 crew members killed in the Challenger and Columbia accidents.

Image source: Congressional Space Medal of Honor

Posthumous Congressional Space Medals of Honor conferred

NASA supercomputer named "Columbia"

2004

A supercomputer built in 2004 at the NASA Advanced Supercomputing Division was named "Columbia" in honor of the lost shuttle and her crew.

Image source: Columbia (supercomputer)

NASA supercomputer named "Columbia"

Super Bowl XXXVIII pregame tribute to Columbia crew

Feb 1, 2004

On February 1, 2004, the first anniversary of the Columbia disaster, Super Bowl XXXVIII held in Houston's Reliant Stadium began with a pregame tribute to the crew by singer Josh Groban performing "You Raise Me Up", with the crew of STS-114 in attendance.

STS-107 memorial unveiled at Arlington National Cemetery

Feb 2, 2004

On February 2, 2004, NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe unveiled a memorial for the STS-107 crew at Arlington National Cemetery, located near the Challenger memorial.

Downey learning center renamed Columbia Memorial Space Center

Oct 2004

In October 2004, both houses of Congress passed a resolution to change the name of Downey, California's Space Science Learning Center to the Columbia Memorial Space Center, which is located at the former manufacturing site of the Space Shuttle orbiters.

Image source: Columbia Memorial Space Center

Downey learning center renamed Columbia Memorial Space Center

Spirit rover explores Husband Hill in Columbia Hills

2005

A complex of seven hills east of the Spirit landing site was dubbed the Columbia Hills; each of the seven hills was individually named for a member of the crew, and the rover explored the summit of Husband Hill in 2005.

Image source: Columbia Hills (Mars)

Spirit rover explores Husband Hill in Columbia Hills

IAU approves naming seven lunar craters after astronauts

2006

In 2006, the International Astronomical Union approved naming seven lunar craters after the Columbia astronauts.

Balloon facility renamed Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility

Feb 2006

In February 2006, NASA's National Scientific Balloon Facility was renamed the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility.

Image source: Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility

Balloon facility renamed Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility

PBS Nova documentary "Space Shuttle Disaster" airs

2008

PBS released a Nova documentary, Space Shuttle Disaster, in 2008, examining the Columbia accident.

Image source: Nova (American TV program)

PBS Nova documentary "Space Shuttle Disaster" airs

"Bringing Columbia Home" published

2018

Michael Leinbach, a retired Launch Director at KSC who was working on the day of the disaster, released Bringing Columbia Home: The Untold Story of a Lost Space Shuttle and Her Crew in 2018.

Image source: Bringing It All Back Home

"Bringing Columbia Home" published

The Disaster and Investigation

Atlantis prepared for STS-114 at launch

Jan 16, 2003

When STS-107 launched, Atlantis was undergoing preparation for the STS-114 launch on March 1, 2003.

Image source: STS-114

Atlantis prepared for STS-114 at launch

Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrates over Texas

Feb 1, 2003

On February 1, 2003, Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated as it re-entered the atmosphere over Texas and Louisiana, killing all seven astronauts on board. It was the second of two Space Shuttle missions to end in disaster, after the loss of Challenger and crew in 1986. Columbia had been scheduled to reenter the atmosphere and land that day.

CAIB public hearings begin

Mar 2003 - Jun 2003

The Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) conducted public hearings from March until June 2003 as it investigated the causes of the disaster.

Image source: Columbia Accident Investigation Board

CAIB public hearings begin

Flight data recorder found near Hemphill, Texas

Mar 19, 2003

Columbia's flight data recorder was found near Hemphill, Texas, 75 miles southeast of Nacogdoches, on March 19, 2003.

ISS experiment culture found alive

Apr 28, 2003

A culture, which was part of an experiment to research their growth while consuming synthetic nutrients, was found to be alive on April 28, 2003.

CAIB releases final report

Aug 2003

The CAIB released its final report in August 2003, detailing the technical and organizational causes of the Columbia disaster.

Drought reveals debris in Lake Nacogdoches

Jul 2011

In July 2011, lower water levels caused by a drought revealed a four-foot-diameter piece of debris in Lake Nacogdoches.

Legacy of the Shuttle Program

Bush announces Vision for Space Exploration

Jan 2004

In January 2004 President Bush announced the Vision for Space Exploration, calling for the Space Shuttle fleet to complete the ISS and be retired by 2010, to be replaced by a newly developed Crew Exploration Vehicle for travel to the Moon and Mars.

Image source: Vision for Space Exploration

Bush announces Vision for Space Exploration

Hubble servicing mission canceled by O'Keefe

2004

In 2004, NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe canceled a planned servicing of the Hubble Space Telescope and decided that future missions would all rendezvous with the ISS to ensure the safety of the crew.

Image source: Hubble Space Telescope

Hubble servicing mission canceled by O'Keefe

Return to Flight: Discovery launches on STS-114

Jul 26, 2005

The first Return to Flight mission, STS-114, began with the launch of Discovery on July 26, 2005, at 10:39 am EDT, resuming shuttle flights after the Columbia disaster.

Griffin approves final Hubble servicing mission

2006

In 2006, NASA Administrator Michael Griffin decided to have one more servicing mission to the Hubble telescope, STS-125, which flew in May 2009.

Image source: STS-125

Griffin approves final Hubble servicing mission

Space Shuttle fleet retired

2011

The retirement of the Space Shuttle was delayed until 2011, after which no further crewed spacecraft were launched from the United States until 2020 when SpaceX's Crew Dragon Demo-2 mission successfully carried NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Robert Behnken to the ISS.

Key Facts

  1. Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas on February 1, 2003, during re-entry, killing all seven astronauts aboard, including Ilan Ramon, Israel's first astronaut.
  2. The cause was a breach in the left wing's leading edge caused by a piece of foam insulation that struck the wing during launch on January 16, 2003.
  3. The crew conducted a 16-day science research mission (STS-107) with no knowledge of the fatal wing damage.
  4. The Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) criticized NASA's organizational culture for downplaying safety concerns similar to those that led to the 1986 Challenger disaster.
  5. The disaster grounded the shuttle fleet for over two years and directly contributed to NASA's decision to retire the Space Shuttle program by 2011.

Source

This Columbia Disaster timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

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