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Remembering Columbia
Credit: NASA
Tuesday, February 1, 2011: During the STS-107 mission, the crew appears to fly toward the camera in a group photo aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia. On the bottom row (L to R) are astronauts Kalpana Chawla, mission specialist; Rick D. Husband, mission commander; Laurel B. Clark, mission specialist; and Ilan Ramon, payload specialist. In the top row (L to R) are astronauts David M. Brown, mission specialist; William C. McCool, pilot; and Michael P. Anderson, payload commander. On February 1, 2003, during re-entry, the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated over northern Texas with all seven crewmembers aboard. This picture survived on a roll of unprocessed film recovered by searchers from the debris.
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Columbia Launches on STS-107 Mission
Credit: NASA
Space shuttle Columbia launches on mission STS-107, January 16, 2003.
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AMOS Image of Shuttle Columbia in Orbit
Credit: U.S. Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing Site (AMOS)
This image of the Space Shuttle Columbia in orbit during mission STS-107 was taken by the U.S. Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing Site (AMOS) on Jan. 28, four days before Columbia's reentry, as the spacecraft flew above the island of Maui in the Hawaiian Islands.
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Shuttle Flight Control Room as Contact with Columbia Is Lost
Credit: NASA
An overall view of the shuttle flight control room (WFCR) in Houston’s Mission Control Center (MCC) at the Johnson Space Center (JSC). At the time this photo was taken, flight controllers had just lost contact with the Space Shuttle Columbia.
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AMOS Angled Image of Shuttle Columbia in Orbit
Credit: U.S. Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing Site (AMOS)
This image of the Space Shuttle Columbia in orbit during mission STS-107 was taken by the U.S. Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing Site (AMOS) on Jan. 28, four days before Columbia's reentry, as the spacecraft flew above the island of Maui in the Hawaiian Islands.
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Columbia as Imaged from Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico
Credit: NASA
This image is a view of the underside of Columbia during its entry from mission STS-107 on Feb. 1, 2003, as it passed by the Starfire Optical Range, Directed Energy Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. The image was taken at approximately 7:57 a.m. CST. This image was received by NASA as part of the Columbia accident investigation and is being analyzed.
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Columbia Debris Display at NASA Promotes Safety
Credit: NASA
An overview of the Columbia debris reconstruction hangar in 2003 shows the orbiter outline on the floor with some of the 78,760 pieces identified to that date. More than 84,000 pieces of shuttle debris were recovered, some of which is included in a traveling NASA display to stress safety.
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Picking Up the Pieces: Solving the Columbia Mystery
Debris from Columbia is examined by workers at the Kennedy Space Center on April 14, 2003.
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Smithsonian Considers Displaying Shuttle Accident Debris
Credit: NASA/NASM
The National Air and Space Museum is considering the display of debris from space shuttles Challenger and Columbia.
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George W. Bush (2001-2009)
Credit: NASA
President George W. Bush issued his own space policy statement in 2006, which further encouraged private enterprise in space.
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Columbia STS-107 Launch Artwork
Credit: Lloyd Behrendt
Lloyd Behrendt recreated Columbia's STS-107 launch in this work, titled "Sacriflight."
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STS-107 Patch
Credit: NASA
STS-107 patch.
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Columbia's STS-107 Crew
The STS-107 crew. Front from left: Rick Husband William McCool. Standing from left: David Brown, Laurel Clark, Kalpana Chawla and Michael Anderson and Ilan Ramon.
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Composite Images of Columbia During Ascent on STS-107
Credit: NASA
These are two composite images of Columbia during ascent on STS-107. The images are both derived from an average of 17 video fields totalling about one-quarter of a second of video. The left image is taken from video before a debris strike recorded by other cameras. The one on the right is taken from video after a debris strike recorded by other cameras. The imagery from video was of too low resolution, however, to be significant for use in an engineering analysis that was performed during Columbia's flight regarding the debris strike.
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Holly Leonard During the Columbia Memorial Service
Credit: NASA
Holly Leonard is pictured among the crowd on the mall of the Johnson Space Center during the memorial for the Columbia astronauts.
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Tributes to Space Shuttle Columbia Crewmembers at Johnson Space Center
Credit: NASA
In memory of the Space Shuttle Columbia crewmembers who lost their lives on February 1, 2003, a massive collection of flowers, balloons, flags, signs, and other arrangements were placed at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) sign at the main entrance to the center.
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Volunteers for Columbia Search Party
Credit: NASA
Director General Jefferson D. Howell, Jr., (left) joins volunteer searchers during a meal break at Lufkin, Texas. John H. Casper, Director of Safety, Reliability and Quality Assurance Office at JSC, is seated next to General Howell.
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Forestry Department Volunteers
Credit: NASA
Volunteer searchers from the Forestry Service and other government agencies gather around a table in the "tent city" set up for them in Corsicana, Texas. The tents in which the volunteers have been living since the search began are visible in the background. Tihis image was taken April 11, 2003
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Volunteer Searchers Scour for Debris
Credit: NASA
Volunteer searchers, representing several government and local agencies, systematically scour a Navarro County field in hopes of finding some debris. This image was taken April 11, 2003.
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Space Shuttle Columbia in Orbit
Credit: NASA
This image of the Space Shuttle Columbia in orbit during mission STS-107 was taken by the U.S. Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing Site (AMOS) on Jan. 28, four days before Columbia's reentry, as the spacecraft flew above the island of Maui in the Hawaiian Islands.
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Thermal Protection Tile From Columbia
Credit: NASA
A view of a single thermal protection system tile from the Space Shuttle Columbia recovered near Powell, Texas, as part of the ongoing debris recovery effort. This image was taken Feb. 25, 2003.
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Debris From Columbia Catalogued
Credit: NASA
View of debris from the Space Shuttle Columbia in the hangar at Barksdale Air Force Base, Shreveport, Louisiana. The debris is collected and cataloged prior to shipment to the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. This image was taken Feb. 8, 2003.
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One of the Space Shuttle Main Engine Powerheads
Credit: NASA
One of the Space Shuttle Main Engine powerheads found on the grounds of Fort Polk, La. The 800 pound unit is one of the easternmost-recovered pieces of debris from Columbia.
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Technicians Team up for Test Article
Credit: NASA
Technicians at the Johnson Space Center in Houston team up to assemble a test article to simulate the inboard leading edge of a Space Shuttle wing as part of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board's testing. This image was taken May 14, 2003.
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Reviewing the CAIB Report
Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
Mr. Glenn Mahone, Assistant Administrator for Public Affairs (left) and Mr. Paul G Pastorek, General Counsel, review the CAIB's Columbia Accident report. This image was taken Aug. 26, 2003.
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Astronaut Sandra Magnus Looks at Volunteer Map
Credit: NASA
Astronaut Sandra Magnus stops to look at a map set up by the U.S. Forestry Service while on a break at the Corsicana search center. The map tracks where Forestry Service volunteers came from prior to being part of the team searching for orbiter debris.
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In Memory of Columbia
Credit: NASA
In memory of the Space Shuttle Columbia crewmembers who lost their lives on Feb. 1, 2003, a number of signs, U.S. flags, and flowers were placed on the fences near the main entrance at the Johnson Space Center (JSC).
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Columbia Crewmembers
Credit: NASA
Reverend Robert L. Bush, pastor, First Church of the Nazarene, delivers an invocation at a memorial service at the First Baptist Church, Lufkin, Texas, honoring the Space Shuttle Columbia crewmembers. The individual portraits of the crewmembers are visible in the foreground on Feb. 8, 2003.
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Memorial Service and Choir for Space Shuttle Columbia
Credit: NASA
The First Baptist Church Choir of Lufkin Texas, under the direction of Brent Dyer, perform "A Might Fortress is Our God" during the memorial service honoring the Space Shuttle Columbia crewmembers on Feb. 8, 2003.
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Memorial for Space Shuttle Columbia
Credit: NASA
T-38's from nearby Ellington Field overfly JSC during the memorial for the Columbia astronauts in the mall of the Johnson Space Center. The aircraft later assumed the missing man formation. This image was taken Feb. 4, 2003.
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NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe at Ceremony
Credit: NASA
NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe (left); his wife Mrs. Laura O'Keefe; Vice President Dick Cheney; Mrs. Lynne Cheney; and astronaut Robert D. Cabana, Director, Flight Crew Operations at the Johnson Space Center, are pictured at a special memorial ceremony at the Washington National Cathedral honoring the Space Shuttle Columbia crewmembers on Feb. 6, 2003.
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Tree Planting Ceremony for Columbia
Credit: NASA
Gen. Jefferson D. Howell Jr., JSC Director, and Doug Brown, brother of Columbia astronaut David M. Brown, participate in tree planting ceremonies with other Columbia family members on April 16, 2003.
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Astronaut Ilan Ramon's Wife Participates in Tree Planting Ceremony for Columbia Shuttle Memorial
Credit: NASA
Gen. Jefferson D. Howell Jr., JSC Director, and Rona Ramon, wife of Columbia payload specialist Ilan Ramon, participate in tree planting ceremonies as other Columbia family members look on. This image was taken April 16, 2003.
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Patti LaBelle at Columbia Memorial Service
Credit: NASA
Ms. Patti LaBelle sings at a special memorial ceremony at the Washington National Cathedral, honoring the Space Shuttle Columbia crewmembers on Feb. 6, 2003.
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Director of the Flight Crew Operations DirectorateSpeaks at Columbia Tree Planting
Credit: NASA
Robert D. Cabana, Director of the Flight Crew Operations Directorate, remembers the crew of Columbia during tree planting ceremonies at the Johnson Space Center on April 16, 2003.
