Shuttle Columbia Lost during Re-entry

HOUSTON, Texas – Feb. 1, 2003 – The Space Shuttle Columbia, returning from a two-week journey that commenced on January 16th, broke up on re-entry today destroying the vehicle and killing all 7 crew members on-board. Debris was scattered across a wide swath of Eastern Texas and into Louisiana. Houston Mission Control lost contact with the vehicle at 9:00 a.m. EST, just 16 minutes short of its scheduled landing at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. At the time of the catastrophic failure, the vehicle was descending through an altitude of approximately 200,000 feet and traveling at a speed of 12,500 mph.

NASA has initiated an intense investigation to determine the cause of the tragic accident. Attention is being directed at this time to various sensor failures that were noted by Ground Control and the on-board flight crew in the several minutes prior to losing voice contact and the apparent disintegration of the vehicle. All shuttle flights are on hold for the immediate future pending results of the investigation. Three shuttle vehicles remain in the NASA fleet.

Adding to the complex situation, three astronauts currently in orbit in the International Space Station (ISS) are scheduled to return to earth via a Shuttle mission previously scheduled for March. A Russian Progress 10 re-supply craft is set for lift off tomorrow from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, carrying supplies and new scientific systems hardware to the ISS. The current ISS crewmembers – Expedition 6 Commander Ken Bowersox, Flight Engineer Nikolai Budarin and NASA ISS Science Officer Don Pettit – are in their 70th day in space, and their 68th day aboard the ISS. They were informed of the loss of Columbia and its crew about an hour after the Shuttle Columbia broke up.

President George W. Bush made a brief, televised statement to the nation from the White House at 2:00 PM EST:

“My fellow Americans, this day has brought terrible news and great sadness to our country. At 9:00 a.m. this morning, Mission Control in Houston lost contact with our Space Shuttle Columbia. A short time later, debris was seen falling from the skies above Texas. The Columbia is lost; there are no survivors. On board was a crew of seven: Colonel Rick Husband; Lt. Colonel Michael Anderson; Commander Laurel Clark; Captain David Brown; Commander William McCool; Dr. Kalpana Chawla; and Ilan Ramon, a Colonel in the Israeli Air Force. These men and women assumed great risk in the service to all humanity. In an age when space flight has come to seem almost routine, it is easy to overlook the dangers of travel by rocket, and the difficulties of navigating the fierce outer atmosphere of the Earth.

These astronauts knew the dangers, and they faced them willingly, knowing they had a high and noble purpose in life. Because of their courage and daring and idealism, we will miss them all the more. All Americans today are thinking, as well, of the families of these men and women who have been given this sudden shock and grief. You're not alone. Our entire nation grieves with you. And those you loved will always have the respect and gratitude of this country. The cause in which they died will continue. Mankind is led into the darkness beyond our world by the inspiration of discovery and the longing to understand. Our journey into space will go on.”

The Shuttle Columbia astronauts were a celebrated and diverse group of highly trained pilots, engineers, and scientists.

• Mission Commander Rick Husband (M.S. in Mechanical Engineering), 45, a Colonel in the U.S. Air Force, was a test pilot and veteran of one space flight. Selected by NASA in December 1994, Husband logged more than 235 hours in space. Husband is survived by his wife and two children.
• Payload Commander Michael Anderson (M.S. in Physics), 43, a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force, was a former instructor pilot and tactical officer. Anderson logged over 211 hours in space. Anderson is survived by his wife.
• Mission Specialist Laurel Clark (M.D.), 41, was a Commander (captain-select) in the U.S. Navy and a naval flight surgeon. Selected by NASA in April 1996, Clark was making her first space flight. Clark is survived by her husband a son.
• Mission Specialist David Brown (M.D.), 46, a Captain in the U.S. Navy, was a naval aviator and flight surgeon. Selected by NASA in April 1996, Brown was making his first space flight.
• Pilot William McCool (M.S. in Computer Science and Aeronautical Engineering), 41, a Commander in the U.S. Navy, was a former test pilot. Selected by NASA in April 1996, McCool was making his first space flight. McCool is survived by his wife and three children.
• Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla (Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering), 41, was an aerospace engineer and an FAA Certified Flight Instructor. Selected by NASA in December 1994, Chawla logged more than 376 hours in space. Chawla is survived by her husband.
• Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon (B.S. in Electronics and Computer Engineering), 48, a Colonel in the Israeli Air Force, was a fighter pilot who was the only payload specialist on STS-107. Approved by NASA in 1998, he was making his first space flight. Ramon is survived by his wife and four children.

Coming 17 years after the Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986, today’s accident caught the nation unprepared. There have been over 100 successful Shuttle missions and it is felt that the nation has lost track of the severe dangers associated with space flight. Meanwhile, an unstable international situation, the on-going threat of terrorism, and a weak economy further complicate immediate prospects for public enthusiasm in what some perceive as a costly space program. Nonetheless, NASA personnel and the majority of the American public seem determined to move forward with space exploration.

In order to further the investigation, NASA has issued a public notice:

All debris is United States Government property and is critical to the investigation of the shuttle accident. Any and all debris from the accident is to be left alone and reported to Government authorities. Unauthorized persons found in possession of accident debris will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. If you find any debris, please call the Johnson Space Center Emergency Operations Center, (281) 483-3388.

Photos / Video Footage – In order to complete the accident investigation, NASA asks that any persons with photographs or video footage call the Johnson Space Center Emergency Operations Center, (281) 483-3388 or send e-mail to columbiaimages@nasa.gov

About Space Shuttle Columbia

28 additional missions: 1981-2003.

Notable missions:

STS 1 through 5, 1981-1982, first flight of European Space Agency built Spacelab
STS-50, June 25-July 9, 1992, first extended-duration Space Shuttle mission.
STS-93, July 1999, placement in orbit of Chandra X-Ray Observatory.

Most recent mission:
STS-109, March 1-12, 2002 Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission

Last mission:
STS-107 Flight, January 16-February 1, 2003: This 16-day mission was dedicated to research in physical, life, and space sciences, conducted in approximately 80 separate experiments, comprised of hundreds of samples and test points. The seven astronauts worked 24 hours a day, in two alternating shifts.

STS-107 Payload: First flight of SPACEHAB Research Double Module; Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research (FREESTAR); first Extended Duration Orbiter (EDO) mission since STS-90.