President Bush: "Columbia's gone ... there are no survivors."
Saturday, Feb. 1, 2003 at 4:45 p.m. EST

In an address to the nation, President George W. Bush confirmed today that the space shuttle Columbia and its crew of seven astronauts were lost after the Orbiter broke up during reentry on its landing approach to the Kennedy Space Center. Or, in the words of NASA senior flight director Milt Heflin, "We've had a bad day."

Shaken NASA officials confirmed that temperature and pressure sensors quit working in Columbia's left wing hydraulic system, left landing gear brake system and tire, and in the vehicle structure on the left side. These indications started about 7 minutes before contact was lost with Columbia. 

Officials also confirmed that a piece of foam insulation from the shuttle's huge external fuel tank broke free and struck the Orbiter's left wing during liftoff - it is too early to determine if this incident played any role in today's accident. 

NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe notified President Bush moments after Columbia's scheduled landing time had passed without any sighting of the Orbiter. O'Keefe has met with the astronauts' families gathered at the Florida landing site for Columbia's landing. The crew of the International Space Station has also been informed of today's tragedy.

President Bush has called the astronauts' families to express the nation's condolences. The President also called Israeli Prime Minister Sharon to discuss the tragedy - the first Israeli astronaut, Ilan Ramon was one of Columbia's seven crewmembers.

Both NASA and White House officials have stated that there is no reason to believe that the accident is terrorism-related.

Mission Control in Houston last made contact with the Orbiter at about 9 a.m. EST as it reentered Earth's atmosphere over north-central Texas. Columbia was at 207,135 feet altitude, traveling at Mach 18.3 or about 12,500 mph, when contact was lost, about 16 minutes prior to its scheduled landing at Florida's Kennedy Space Center.

Tracking systems at the Kennedy Space Center did not acquire Columbia when it was scheduled to approach the Florida coast.

Video of Columbia's descent over Texas shows the vehicle breaking up upon reentry. Weather radar from Shreveport, Louisiana shows a wide swath of heated particles extending over several hundred miles as the vehicle disintegrated.

Numerous pieces of debris landed in Nacogdoches and Palestine, Texas. Aerial video shows smoldering debris landing over several hundred square miles of eastern Texas.

We will update this box as soon as additional information becomes available.

Progress launches, recovery continues
Sunday, Feb. 2, 2003 at 11 a.m. EST

It wasn't a nightmare, it really happened and today we carry on.

In a small but critical way, the manned space program continued this morning with the launch of a Progress supply ship to the International Space Station.

The food, fuel and other supplies onboard that small freighter are to arrive at the outpost on Tuesday, and once there will give mission managers extra assurance that the Expedition Six crew can remain in space through at least June.

Meanwhile, on the ground in Texas and Louisiana and elsewhere the effort to recover debris, determine why Columbia and its crew were lost, fix the problem and prepare to launch again continues.

NASA has scheduled a press conference for 1 p.m. EST to discuss the latest information.

The focus continues on Columbia's left wing. It seems clear that whatever caused the shuttle to break up over Texas began happening with the wing. While the possibility of damage to the heat protection tiles during launch could be considered a leading suspect, it by no means is the only possible explanation.

People in the estimated 500-square mile debris field are encouraged to call the Johnson Space Center at 281-483-3388 if they discover anything that looks like it came from Columbia, and to please don't touch it or get too close.

Residue from toxic chemicals used on the shuttle could remain on the debris. More than a dozen people have already received medical treatment.

We will update this box again with news and other random thoughts later tonight.

Investigation focusing on Columbia's left wing
Sunday, Feb. 2, 2003 at 11:45 p.m. EST

Temperatures in the left fuselage of Shuttle Columbia rose about 60 degrees in the five minutes before the Orbiter disintegrated over the skies of Texas Saturday, NASA officials revealed Sunday. 

Telemetry also indicated temperatures in the left wing's main landing gear wheel well were also rising. All the while, Columbia's automatic guidance system was furiously adjusting the vehicle's attitude, to a degree never before seen, because of increased drag on the left side of the spacecraft.

This information, combined with newly-released videotape showing pieces apparently separating from the spacecraft as it crossed the California coast - several minutes before the loss of data from a number of temperature sensors - is causing investigators to consider the possibility that some of Columbia's protective tiles may have broken off the vehicle when it encountered the upper fringes of Earth's atmosphere.

In a small but critical way, the manned space program continued Sunday with the launch of a Progress supply ship to the International Space Station. The food, fuel and other supplies onboard that small freighter are to arrive at the outpost on Tuesday, and once there will give mission managers extra assurance that the Expedition Six crew can remain in space through at least June.

Meanwhile, on the ground in Texas and Louisiana and elsewhere the effort to recover debris, determine why Columbia and its crew were lost, fix the problem and prepare to launch again continues. Remains of the astronauts have also recovered and will be flown to Dover AFB, Delaware for identification.

NASA has scheduled a pair of press conferences Monday at 11:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. EST to discuss the latest information.

We will update this box again with news and other random thoughts on Monday morning.

Columbia crew families statement
Monday, Feb. 3, 2003 at 11:45 a.m. EST

The families of Columbia's seven astronauts have released a joint statement, and here it is:

On January 16th, we saw our loved ones launch into a brilliant, cloud-free sky.

Their hearts were full of enthusiasm, pride in country, faith in their God and a willingness to accept risk in the pursuit of knowledge -- knowledge that might improve the quality of life for all mankind.

Columbia's 16-day mission of scientific discovery was a great success, cut short by mere minutes -- yet it will live on forever in our memories.

We want to thank the NASA family and people from around the world for their incredible outpouring of love and support.

Although we grieve deeply, as do the families of Apollo 1 and Challenger before us, the bold exploration of space must go on. Once the root cause of this tragedy is found and corrected, the legacy of Columbia must carry on -- for the benefit of our children and yours.

Memorial services are planned in Houston on Tuesday, Washington on Thursday and possibly at the Kennedy Space Center on Friday.

Another news briefing is set for 4:30 p.m. EST today and we will try to update this box afterwards.