In a devastating tragedy that took the lives of seven astronauts, the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated in the skies over Texas on Saturday morning as the ship was heading back to Earth. Mission Control lost contact with the shuttle around 9 a.m. EST (1400 GMT), about 16 minutes before its planned Florida touchdown. Debris from the shuttle fell in north and east areas of Texas. FULL STORY MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates SATURDAY NEWS SUMMARY NASA ISSUED REPORT
Break-up appears to have started with left wing
In the final minutes of shuttle Columbia's doomed reentry, flight controllers began to see indications of a major problem in the area of the shuttle's left wing, NASA officials said on Saturday in their first detailed news briefing since the tragedy. FULL STORY - posted at 0230 GMT
Shuttle's left wing struck during launch
Columbia's left wing was struck by debris during its launch on January 16. Prior to the reentry, flight controllers had said they had no concerns about possible damage to the shuttle's tiles, but following the loss of Columbia the incident will receive more attention. ANIMATED IMAGE OF LAUNCH INCIDENT
Space shuttle Columbia's seven-member crew
Aboard shuttle Columbia were Rick Husband, commander, and Willie McCool, pilot. Mission specialists Dave Brown, Laurel Clark, Kalpana Chawla, Mike Anderson (payload commander) and Israeli payload specialist Ilan Ramon. CREW BIOGRAPHIES
President Bush makes address on shuttle tragedy
"The Columbia is lost; there are no survivors," President Bush said in an address from the White House. The president vowed the tragedy would not mean the end of the space program: "The cause in which they died will continue." STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT BUSH
Statement by NASA chief
"This is indeed a tragic day for the NASA family, for the families of the astronauts who flew on STS-107, and likewise is tragic for the Nation," NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe said. "The loss of this valued crew is something we will never be able to get over. We have assured the families that we will do everything, everything we can possibly do to guarantee that we work our way through this horrific tragedy." STATEMENT BY O'KEEFE
Shuttle debris cloud visible in weather radar
The space shuttle broke up at an altitude of 200,000 feet as it hurtled through the upper atmosphere at 12,500 miles per hour. The resulting debris cloud was visible on weather radar images. WEATHER RADAR IMAGE
Saturday:
February 1, 2003
0010 GMT
Shuttle Columbia to land in Florida on Saturday
Columbia commander Rick Husband, pilot William McCool and flight engineer Kalpana Chawla tested the shuttle's re-entry systems Friday, setting the stage for landing Saturday to close out a 16-day science mission. Touchdown on runway 33 at the Kennedy Space Center currently is targeted for 9:15:50 a.m. EST. FULL STORY MISSION STATUS CENTER ENTRY AND LANDING TIMELINE
Friday:
January 31, 2003
0219 GMT
Environmental satellite set to detect solar storms
The nation's newest environmental satellite, GOES-12, is being readied for operations, NASA and NOAA announced Thursday. The Solar X-ray Imager aboard the satellite will enable forecasters and scientists to detect solar storms that could impact billions of dollars worth of assets. FULL STORY
Ocean surface saltiness influences El Nino forecasts
NASA sponsored scientists have discovered by knowing the salt content of the ocean's surface, they may be able to improve the ability to predict El Nino events. FULL STORY
Astonauts in home stretch of ongoing science mission
The Columbia astronauts, in the home stretch of a grueling dual-shift 16-day science mission, told reporters Wednesday their research is proceeding in fine fashion and that scores of scientists on the ground should be pleased with their results. FULL STORY MISSION STATUS CENTER
South Pole telescope follows trail of neutrinos
A unique telescope buried in Antarctic ice promises unparalleled insight into such extraordinary phenomena as colliding black holes, gamma-ray bursts, the violent cores of distant galaxies and the wreckage of exploded stars. FULL STORY
Wednesday:
January 29, 2003
0320 GMT
Delta to launch today
A satellite to sustain the U.S. Global Positioning System remains scheduled for launch at 1:06 p.m. EST (1806 GMT) today aboard a Boeing Delta 2 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. MISSION STATUS CENTER
Crew fixes experiment
The Red team of astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia accomplished repairs on the third and final combustion experiment of STS-107 Tuesday afternoon, and support scientists on the ground were looking forward to working with the Blue team on the first scientific runs. MISSION STATUS CENTER UPDATED NASA TV SCHEDULE ASTRONAUTS' MASTER FLIGHT PLAN
News Archive Jan. 20-26: Air-launched rocket gives boost to climate research; Shock waves may explain water in meteorites; First Milky Ways found at edge of Universe; NASA announces Educator Astronaut Program; Vandenberg receives first Boeing Delta 4 rocket. Jan. 13-19: Shuttle Columbia rockets into orbit for science flight; Delta 2 pulls double duty with launch of two satellites; Three new moons found around Neptune; Researchers seek 'heart' of black hole mystery; Stellar cocoons found in harsh environment; Rocket issues keep Rosetta grounded indefinitely. Jan. 6-12: Farthest known planet discovered; Coriolis launched to track ocean winds, solar storms; ; Nozzle failure doomed Ariane 5 rocket; Biggest zoom lens in space extends Hubble's reach; New lower limit for age of universe claimed. Dec. 30-Jan. 5: China launches fourth Shenzhou capsule; Russian rocket delivers Canadian satellite in space; Ariane 5 launch failure investigation delays Rosetta; Engine 'destroyed' in Proton mission failure; Volcanoes on Jovian moon spew salt into atmosphere. More news See our weekly archive of space news. The ultimate Apollo 11 DVD This exceptional chronicle of the historic Apollo 11 lunar landing mission features new digital transfers of film and television coverage unmatched by any other.
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This exceptional chronicle of the historic Apollo 11 lunar landing mission features new digital transfers of film and television coverage unmatched by any other.
U.S. STORE
The official accident investigation report into the loss of the space shuttle Columbia and its crew of seven. Includes CD-ROM.
Special collectors' patch marking the 35th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 moon landing is now available.
An insider's view of how Apollo flight controllers operated and just what they faced when events were crucial.
This exceptional chronicle of the historic Apollo 11 lunar landing mission features new digital transfers of film and television coverage unmatched by any other.
Own a little piece of history with this official patch for the International Space Station's Expedition 11 crew. We'll ship yours today!
This special 12-inch embroidered patch commemorates the U.S. astronauts who made the ultimate sacrifice, honoring the crews of Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia.
Women of Space: Cool Careers on the Final Frontier is for girls, young women, and anyone else interested in learning about exciting careers in space exploration. Includes CD-ROM.
This new poster features some of the best pictures from NASA's amazing Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity.
The official embroidered patch for the International Space Station Expedition 20 crew is now available from our stores.
The official embroidered patch for shuttle Atlantis' flight to deliver critical spare equipment to the space station.
The Ares Project will develop two new rockets to launch astronauts back to the Moon under NASA's Vision for Exploration. The Ares 1 will employ a single space shuttle solid rocket booster to loft the Orion crew capsule. The gigantic Ares 5 will haul the equipment and cargo needed for such lunar voyages. This is the Ares emblem.
Hosted by Corbin Bernsen, this award winning documentary marks the 50th anniversary of the U.S. space agency and features exclusive interviews with veteran astronauts.
The official embroidered patch for the International Space Station Expedition 21 crew is now available from our stores.
NEW! This beautiful 12" by 12" wall calendar features stunning images of the International Space Station and of the people, equipment, and space craft associated with it, as it takes shape day by day in orbit high above the Earth. 
