The seven astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia were unaware of their impending deaths until moments before the shuttle disintegrated on re-entry, a NASA investigation later found. The shuttle broke apart on February 1, 2003, killing everyone on board, just 16 days after launch.
Mission Background and Crew
The Columbia space shuttle launched on January 16, 2003, with a seven-member crew. The mission had been postponed 13 times and departed two years behind its scheduled date. Columbia, part of NASA's fleet of partially reusable spacecraft, had first launched in 1981 and completed 27 successful orbital missions before its fatal 28th departure.
The crew consisted of Mission Commander Rick D Husband, Payload Commander Michael P Anderson, Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla, Mission Specialist Laurel Blair Salton Clark, Mission Specialist David M Brown, Mission Pilot William McCool, and Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon.
Fatal Damage During Launch
Seconds after liftoff, a suitcase-sized chunk of foam separated from Columbia's external tanks and struck the thermal protection tiles on the left wing. While similar events had occurred on previous missions, the damage to Columbia proved catastrophic. During re-entry, scorching atmospheric gases breached the heat shield and destroyed the wing structure.
The crew knew a small section of foam had detached during launch but were assured by ground control that all was well and there was no danger. As they began their return to Earth, the crew notified NASA personnel 10 minutes in advance that they would soon be landing.
Final Moments and Disintegration
As the astronauts passed over the Pacific Ocean, they donned their protective gloves and suits, moving at 15,000 miles per hour and still 40 miles above Earth's surface. Footage from inside Columbia showed the crew composed, sharing laughter and banter, and marveling at the 'amazing' rose-hued glow visible through the cockpit windows.
At NASA, ground experts watched as the situation deteriorated, receiving erratic data with absent temperature readings from the left wing sensors and missing tyre pressure measurements. The final transmission from Commander Husband was picked up just before 9am on February 1, during which he uttered "Roger, uh..." before the signal cut out.
Shortly after 9am, the shuttle was switched from automatic to manual control, an action taken by either Husband or pilot McCool. Almost instantly afterwards, data reveals McCool attempted to restore the hydraulic systems before Columbia began its catastrophic disintegration. Witnesses in Texas reported seeing unusual phenomena in the sky, which was in fact Columbia breaking apart.
Investigation Findings
A NASA report estimated that most debris and the astronauts' remains reached the ground by 9.15am. A 2008 NASA crew survival investigation concluded the astronauts likely survived the initial disintegration before losing consciousness shortly after the cabin depressurised, with high-altitude exposure and severe impact trauma cited as causes of death. The remains of all seven crew members were successfully recovered.
