Space Shuttle Columbia

The space shuttle columbia on mission sts 107 broke up on feb.
Space shuttle columbia. Columbia initiated the space shuttle flight program when it lifted off pad a in the launch complex 39 area at ksc on april 12 1981. Mission specialists michael anderson david brown kalpana chawla and laurel clark. It launched for the first time on mission sts 1 on april 12 1981 the first flight of the space shuttle program serving for over 22 years it completed 27 missions before disintegrating during re entry near the end of its 28th mission sts 107 on february 1 2003. The space shuttle columbia orbiter vehicle designation.
On april 12 1981 a bright white columbia roared into a deep blue sky as the nation s first reusable space shuttle. Named after the first american ocean vessel to circle the globe and the command module for the apollo 11 moon landing columbia continued this heritage of intrepid exploration. Columbia ov 102 01 31 05. The space shuttle columbia disaster was a fatal incident in the united states space program that occurred on february 1 2003 when the space shuttle columbia ov 102 disintegrated as it reentered the atmosphere killing all seven crew members the disaster was the second fatal accident in the space shuttle program after the 1986 breakup of challenger soon after liftoff.
Columbia was the first shuttle to reach space in 1981. Sts 107 was a flight dedicated to various experiments that required a microgravity environment the crew comprised commander rick husband. Columbia which had made the shuttle program s first flight into space in 1981 lifted off for its 28th mission sts 107 on january 16 2003. It was a horrific tragedy particularly considering that the shuttle was on its 28th mission and had been a solid vehicle for space exploration and research since the 1980s.
An investigation led to changes in nasa procedures. Columbia ov 102 the first of nasa s orbiter fleet was delivered to kennedy space center in march 1979. Some remains from the seven member crew of the space shuttle columbia have been recovered in rural east texas and forensics experts think the astronauts could be genetically identified despite. Columbia carried dozens of astronauts into space during the next two decades reaching several milestones.