Columbia is Lost: SPACE.com's STS-107 Story Archive

Space Shuttle Columbia hurtles through a perfect blue Florida sky following a flawless and uneventful countdown. Liftoff of Columbia on mission STS-107 occurred on-time at 10:39 a.m. EST on Jan. 16, 2003.
Space Shuttle Columbia hurtles through a perfect blue Florida sky following. Liftoff of Columbia on mission STS-107 occurred on-time at 10:39 a.m. EST on Jan. 16, 2003. (Image credit: NASA)

Welcome to SPACE.com's look back at stories related to the STS-107 Shuttle Columbia Disaster, last updated Aug. 26, 2003.

The coverage of the disaster here is a reprint of major stories from the tragic loss of Columbia and its crew on Feb. 1, 2003, to the release of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board Report on Aug. 26, 2003.

Instant History: Our First Report
Columbia Missing on Re-Entry, Crew Presumed Lost

The space shuttle Columbia is presumed missing and the crew lost. NASA lost communication with space shuttle Columbia and the orbiter did not appear in the skies over Central Florida as expected during re-entry Saturday morning.

Top 10 Questions About NASA's Columbia Shuttle Tragedy
See questions and answers about the Columbia Accident Investigation Board's (CAIB) final report.

Photos: The Columbia Space Shuttle Tragedy
On Feb. 1, 2003, NASA's space shuttle Columbia and its crew of seven astronauts were lost during re-entry. See photos from the mission, accident aftermath and investigation.

Columbia Report Faults NASA Culture, Government Oversight
Politics, budgets, schedule pressure and managerial complacency all played roles in causing the Feb. 1 Columbia tragedy, the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) said in its final report released today.

Columbia Accident Investigation Board Report Excerpts
Here are selected excerpts -- presented by topics -- from the Columbia Accident Investigation Board final report.

Columbia Timeline: Seven Months from Tragedy to Final Report
Nearly seven months after Columbia broke apart over Texas skies the formal investigation is complete and the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) report was released today in Washington.

New Columbia Accident Time Line Released
The Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) issued a new version of a master time line showing the progression of events that led to the destruction of the shuttle and loss of its crew.

Full Text of Statement by NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe on Shuttle Columbia Loss
The complete text a statement made Saturday by NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe following the loss of space shuttle Columbia and its crew on Feb. 1, 2003.

Columbia Missing on Re-Entry, Crew Presumed Lost
The space shuttle Columbia is presumed missing and the crew lost. NASA lost communication with space shuttle Columbia and the orbiter did not appear in the skies over Central Florida as expected during re-entry Saturday morning.

Shuttle Columbia's Final Mission: Photos from STS-107
See photos from STS-107, the tragic final flight of the space shuttle Columbia in early 2003.

Space Shuttle Columbia: STS-107 Mission Archive
Here is the complete collection of stories from SPACE.com about shuttle Columbia's STS-107 science research mission from pre-launch through the pre-landing check on Jan. 31, 2003. 

For a complete look back at SPACE.com's Columbia accident coverage, visit here

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Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, innovation and astronomy news, chronicling (and celebrating) humanity's ongoing expansion across the final frontier. Originally founded in 1999, Space.com is, and always has been, the passion of writers and editors who are space fans and also trained journalists. Our current news team consists of Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik; Editor Hanneke Weitering, Senior Space Writer Mike Wall; Senior Writer Meghan Bartels; Senior Writer Chelsea Gohd, Senior Writer Tereza Pultarova and Staff Writer Alexander Cox, focusing on e-commerce. Senior Producer Steve Spaleta oversees our space videos, with Diana Whitcroft as our Social Media Editor.