10 Facts About Columbia disaster

The Columbia disaster was the second of two fatal accidents in the Space Shuttle program, after the 1986 breakup of Challenger soon after liftoff.

Columbia disaster was the first space-rated orbiter constructed, following atmospheric test vehicle Enterprise.

STS-107, Columbia disaster carried the SpaceHab Research Double Module, the Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment, and an Extended Duration Orbiter pallet.

At T+0, Columbia disaster launched from the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A at 10:39:00a.

Columbia disaster continued its reentry and traveled over Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, where observers would report seeing signs of debris being shed.

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At approximately 9:12am, when Columbia disaster would be conducting its final maneuvers to land, a Mission Control member received a phone call that discussed news coverage of the orbiter breaking up.

Columbia disaster was the first orbiter, and it had a unique flight data OEX recorder to record vehicle performance data during the test flights.

All recovered non-human Columbia disaster debris is stored in unused office space at the Vehicle Assembly Building, except for parts of the crew compartment, which are kept separate.

On STS-107, Columbia disaster was carrying the Extended Duration Orbiter, which increased its supply of oxygen and hydrogen.

Columbia disaster would have been remotely deorbited; as Mission Control would have been unable to remotely land it, it would have been disposed of in the Pacific Ocean.