COLUMBIA

HISTORY

• First launched in STS-1 mission
• Completed 27 missions before disintegrating

WHEN

• It happened February 1st, 2003

WHAT HAPPENED

• Space shuttle disintegrated coming back into earths atmosphere
• Killed it's seven member crew

How it happened
a suitcase-size piece of foam broke off from the External Tank (ET), striking Columbia's left wing reinforced carbon-carbon panels. This allowed hot gases to enter the wing when Columbia later reentered the atmosphere

Where it happened
Over Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana. A large section of the Columbia's cabin is found in eastern Texas.
The electronic box containing vital information on the descent of the space shuttle is found intact in a field near Hemphill, Texas.

OUTSIDE

INSIDE

PICTURE OF ACCIDENT

PICTURE OF ACCIDENT

Primary sources
There is a video of inside the space shuttles cabin right before it disintegrated.

The Columbia investigation exposed a number of flaws in the design of the shuttle's crew cabin, including its seats, seatbelts, spacesuits and life support system.

The astronauts suits were completely redesigned

OUIZ

• How many missions did space
• Shuttle columbia go on?
• What year did this happen?