# @nasaartemis on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/CoImMAwO8qI
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/15341137-nasaartemis-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/legacy-do/650872222818a6469126f9d41f457541553b3509439c9e395317464fd61a42af.jpg
- **Posted:** 2023-02-01T21:08:51.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** NASA Artemis (@nasaartemis) — https://gondola.cc/nasaartemis

## Caption

Today we remember the Columbia STS-107 mission and its seven crew members, Rick D. Husband, William C. McCool, David Brown, Laurel Blair Salton Clark, Michael P. Anderson, Ilan Ramon, and Kalpana Chawla, who passed away twenty years ago today, Feb. 1, 2003.

The STS-107 mission began with a spectacular liftoff from Launch Pad 39A at NASAKennedy Space Center in Florida, at 10:39 am EST on Jan. 16, 2003. During routine analysis of launch films, engineers noted that at about 82 seconds into the flight, a piece of foam insulation released from the Shuttle’s External Tank (ET) appeared to strike Columbia’s left wing. When engineers on the ground requested high-resolution imaging of the affected area to complete a more thorough analysis, managers ultimately turned down the request.

After spending 16 days in space conducting dozens of U.S. and international experiments, the astronauts began the journey to return to Earth. Fifteen minutes after entry interface, flying over Texas at an altitude of 207,000 feet (63,000 meters) and 16 minutes from landing at Kennedy, Mission Control lost contact with Columbia and its crew. In the months to follow, an investigation team determined that the foam from the ET’s left bipod ramp area impacted Columbia in the vicinity of the lower left wing panels 5-9. When the vehicle began reentry, this damaged section of the wing was subjected to extreme entry heating over a long period of time. The destruction of the wing from overheating caused the breakup and crash of Columbia. In addition to the technical failure, the investigation identified NASA’s safety culture and complacency as contributing factors to the disaster.

Today we remember STS-107 and rededicate ourselves to prioritize the safety of our astronauts as we journey to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. #NASARemembers

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