Video: Lessons learned from Columbia disaster remain 20 years later Twenty years ago Wednesday, the Space Shuttle Columbia and her crew were lost when the spacecraft broke up during reentry over Texas. (Melonie Holt, WFTV.com)
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Twenty years ago Wednesday, the Space Shuttle Columbia and her crew were lost when the spacecraft broke up during reentry over Texas.
The lessons learned from that tragedy transformed the culture of NASA as an agency.
On Feb. 1, 2003, Columbia was 16 minutes from touching down at the Kennedy Space Center when disaster struck and mission control lost contact with Columbia and her crew.
The shuttle broke up killing NASA astronauts Rick Husband, William McCool, David Brown, Laurel Clark, Michael Anderson, and Kalpana Chawla as well as Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon.
An investigation board determined that a large piece of foam fell from the shuttle’s external tank shortly after liftoff and struck the spacecraft’s left wing, which was damaged. Foam strikes had occurred during earlier shuttle missions without incident. Engineers requested high-resolution imaging of the affected area, but ultimately managers turned them down.
“I’m a student of history, and I’m sure that someday in the future, there will be another accident,” said NASA associate administrator Bob Cabana. “I hope it’s not on my watch. And that’s my goal is to ensure it doesn’t happen on my watch. But, again, when we look at the problems that we’ve had, they were avoidable.”
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Space Shuttle Columbia The crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia mission; specialists Kalpana Chawla and Laurel Clark, pilot William "Willie" McCool, commander Rick Husband, mission specialist David Brown, payload specialist Ilan Ramon and payload commander Michael Anderson (L to R) pose for a picture on December 18, 2002 at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Columbia broke up upon re-entry to earth February 1, 2003. (Photo by NASA/Getty Images) (Getty Images/Getty Images)
Space Shuttle Columbia The crew of the Shuttle Space Shuttle Columbia STS-107 (L to R) Commander Rick Husband, Pilot William "Willie" McCool, Mission Specialists David Brown and Kalpana Chawla, Payload Commander Michael Anderson, Mission Specialist Laurel Clark and Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon talk to members of the press on January 12, 2003 at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Columbia broke up upon re-entry to earth February 1, 2003. (Photo by NASA/Getty Images) (Getty Images/Getty Images)
Space Shuttle Columbia A television frame grab shows the moment of explosion during the breakup of the space shuttle Columbia minutes before a scheduled landing February 1, 2003 as it crossed the United States with seven astronauts on board. (Getty Images/Getty Images)
Space Shuttle Columbia A banner that reads "Hail Columbia" with an American flag hanging over it greets workers to Nose Dock Six, where space shuttle Columbia debris is being catalogued and temporarily warehoused at Barksdale Air Force Base February 10, 2003 in Louisiana. Debris collected since the February 1, 2003 accident has been brought to the base as part of the investigation into the spacecraft's breakup. (Photo by Tony Gutierrez - Pool/Getty Images) (Pool/Getty Images)
Space Shuttle Columbia In this NASA handout, NASA Associate Administrator William F. (Bill) Readdy, Office of Space Flight, examines a piece of debris from Space Shuttle Columbia April 28, 2003 at the Kennedy Space Center, Floridia. More than 70,000 items have been delivered to the space center in the ongoing mishap investigation. (Photo by NASA/Getty Images) (NASA HANDOUT) (Getty Images/Getty Images)
Space Shuttle Columbia In this NASA handout, Columbia Space Shuttle debris lies floor of the RLV Hangar May 15, 2003 at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The Columbia Accident Investigation Board investigators say that a culture of low funding, strict scheduling and an eroded safety program at NASA doomed the flight of the space shuttle. (Photo by NASA/Getty Images) (Getty Images/Getty Images)
Space Shuttle Columbia In this NASA handout, NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe (L) and Shuttle Test Director Steve Altemus, a member of the Columbia Reconstruction Project Team look over pieces of debris from the Space Shuttle Columbia April 28, 2003 at the Kennedy Space Center, Floridia. More than 70,000 items have been delivered to the space center in the ongoing mishap investigation. (Photo by NASA/Getty Images) (NASA HANDOUT) (Getty Images/Getty Images)
Space Shuttle Columbia In this NASA handout, Columbia Space Shuttle debris lies floor of the RLV Hangar May 15, 2003 at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. More than 82,000 pieces have been delivered to the space center with 78,760 having been identified. (Photo by NASA/Getty Images) (Getty Images/Getty Images)
Space Shuttle Columbia In this NASA handout, Columbia Space Shuttle debris lies floor of the RLV Hangar May 15, 2003 at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. More than 82,000 pieces have been delivered to the space center with 78,760 having been identified. (Photo by NASA/Getty Images) (Getty Images/Getty Images)
Space Shuttle Columbia A wreath adorned with an Israeli and American flags stands in a makeshift memorial to the astronauts who were killed when the space shuttle Columbia exploded upon re-entry into Earth's atmosphere, outside NASA's Johnson Space Center February 1, 2003 in Houston, Texas. The seven members of the crew were killed when the shuttle broke up over Texas preparing to land at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (Photo by Brett Coomer/Getty Images) (Brett Coomer/Getty Images)
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Sarah Wilson joined WFTV Channel 9 in 2018 as a digital producer after working as an award-winning newspaper reporter for nearly a decade in various communities across Central Florida.
