Columbia Quick Facts
*COLUMBIA EXPLODED ON FEBRUARY 1ST, 2003
*IT EXPLODED AT 8:59 AM OVER LOUISIANA AND TEXAS
*THE LAST CREW ON THE SHUTTLE WAS
RICK HUSBAND- COMMANDER
WILLIAM McCOOL- PILOT
MICHAEL P. ANDERSON- PAYLOAD COMMANDER
KALPANA CHAWLA- MISSION SPECIALIST
DAVID M. BROWN- MISSION SPECIALIST
LAUREL CLARK- MISSION SPECIALIST
ILAN RAMON- PAYLOAD SPECIALIST (FIRST ISRAELI IN SPACE)
*THE LONGEST MISSION OF COLUMBIA WAS 17 DAYS, 15 HOURS, AND 53 MINUTES
*FIRST FLIGHT WAS ON APRIL 12,1981
*ALL SEVEN MEMBERS WERE KILLED
*NASA'S FIRST ORBITER FLEET
*WEIGHED 178,000 POUNDS, AS MUCH AS 13 AFRICAN ELEPHANTS
*DESTROYED DURING RE-ENTRY ON THE RETURN FROM THE 113TH MISSION
*ORBITED THE EARTH 4,808 TIMES DURING ITS 22 YEAR CAREER AND MARKED MANY SPACEFLIGHT FIRSTS
*DESTROYED AT A SPEED OF ABOUT MACH 19 AT AN ALTITUDE OF OVER 200,000 FEET
* THE SPEED, ALTITUDE, AND TEMPERATURES AT THIS TIME RULED OUT ANY CHANCES OF ESCAPE
*THE HEAVIEST OF NASA'S ORBITERS
*WAS RETURNING FROM A 16 DAY MISSION TO CONDUCT EXPERIMENTS IN LOW EARTH ORBIT WHEN IT EXPLODED
*NAMED AFTER A SMALL SAILING VESSEL THAT OPERATED OUT OF BOSTON IN 1972
*WAS DELIVERED TO THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER IN MARCH 1979
*THE LAST COMMUNICATION WAS
"TO COLUMBIA, THIS IS HOUSTON, WE SEE YOUR TYRE PRESSURE MESSAGES AND WE DID NOT COPY YOUR LAST MESSAGE"
AFTER A MOMENT, HUSBAND REPLIED, "ROGER BUT...."
AFTER A BRIEF CRACKLING NOISE CONTACT WAS LOST
*16 MINUTES BEFORE ITS SCHEDULED LANDING THE SPACE SHUTTLE COLUMBIA EXPLODED, 40 MILES ABOVE EARTH
*DEBRIS FROM THE EXPLOSION FELL OVER LOUISIANA, ARKANSAS, AND TEXAS
*CABIN RUPTURED FROM STRESSES ABOUT 38 SECONDS AFTER THE SHUTTLE BROKE UP
*THE HELMETS THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO HELP THEM ACTUALLY SHATTERED THEIR SKULLS
*A PIECE OF FOAM PIERCED THE LEFT WING OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE DURING LAUNCH. ATMOSPHERIC GASES TORE IT APART DURING RE-ENTRY, KILLING THE CREW
*ON FEBRUARY 4, 2003 PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH LED A MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR THE FAMILIES OF THE ASTRONAUTS
*ITS ORIGINAL LAUNCH WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN JANUARY OF 2001 BUT IT WAS DELAYED 18 TIMES IN THE TWO YEARS BEFORE THEN.
* THE THERMAL PROTECTION AND THE LEFT WING WERE THE CAUSES OF THE EXPLOSION
*COLUMBIA WAS THE FIRST SHUTTLE TO ORBIT THE EARTH
*WAS LAUNCHED ON JANUARY 16, 2003
*ITS FIRST FLIGHT WAS IN 1981
CLICK HERE FOR LINK TO VIDEO
*IT EXPLODED AT 8:59 AM OVER LOUISIANA AND TEXAS
*THE LAST CREW ON THE SHUTTLE WAS
RICK HUSBAND- COMMANDER
WILLIAM McCOOL- PILOT
MICHAEL P. ANDERSON- PAYLOAD COMMANDER
KALPANA CHAWLA- MISSION SPECIALIST
DAVID M. BROWN- MISSION SPECIALIST
LAUREL CLARK- MISSION SPECIALIST
ILAN RAMON- PAYLOAD SPECIALIST (FIRST ISRAELI IN SPACE)
*THE LONGEST MISSION OF COLUMBIA WAS 17 DAYS, 15 HOURS, AND 53 MINUTES
*FIRST FLIGHT WAS ON APRIL 12,1981
*ALL SEVEN MEMBERS WERE KILLED
*NASA'S FIRST ORBITER FLEET
*WEIGHED 178,000 POUNDS, AS MUCH AS 13 AFRICAN ELEPHANTS
*DESTROYED DURING RE-ENTRY ON THE RETURN FROM THE 113TH MISSION
*ORBITED THE EARTH 4,808 TIMES DURING ITS 22 YEAR CAREER AND MARKED MANY SPACEFLIGHT FIRSTS
*DESTROYED AT A SPEED OF ABOUT MACH 19 AT AN ALTITUDE OF OVER 200,000 FEET
* THE SPEED, ALTITUDE, AND TEMPERATURES AT THIS TIME RULED OUT ANY CHANCES OF ESCAPE
*THE HEAVIEST OF NASA'S ORBITERS
*WAS RETURNING FROM A 16 DAY MISSION TO CONDUCT EXPERIMENTS IN LOW EARTH ORBIT WHEN IT EXPLODED
*NAMED AFTER A SMALL SAILING VESSEL THAT OPERATED OUT OF BOSTON IN 1972
*WAS DELIVERED TO THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER IN MARCH 1979
*THE LAST COMMUNICATION WAS
"TO COLUMBIA, THIS IS HOUSTON, WE SEE YOUR TYRE PRESSURE MESSAGES AND WE DID NOT COPY YOUR LAST MESSAGE"
AFTER A MOMENT, HUSBAND REPLIED, "ROGER BUT...."
AFTER A BRIEF CRACKLING NOISE CONTACT WAS LOST
*16 MINUTES BEFORE ITS SCHEDULED LANDING THE SPACE SHUTTLE COLUMBIA EXPLODED, 40 MILES ABOVE EARTH
*DEBRIS FROM THE EXPLOSION FELL OVER LOUISIANA, ARKANSAS, AND TEXAS
*CABIN RUPTURED FROM STRESSES ABOUT 38 SECONDS AFTER THE SHUTTLE BROKE UP
*THE HELMETS THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO HELP THEM ACTUALLY SHATTERED THEIR SKULLS
*A PIECE OF FOAM PIERCED THE LEFT WING OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE DURING LAUNCH. ATMOSPHERIC GASES TORE IT APART DURING RE-ENTRY, KILLING THE CREW
*ON FEBRUARY 4, 2003 PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH LED A MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR THE FAMILIES OF THE ASTRONAUTS
*ITS ORIGINAL LAUNCH WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN JANUARY OF 2001 BUT IT WAS DELAYED 18 TIMES IN THE TWO YEARS BEFORE THEN.
* THE THERMAL PROTECTION AND THE LEFT WING WERE THE CAUSES OF THE EXPLOSION
*COLUMBIA WAS THE FIRST SHUTTLE TO ORBIT THE EARTH
*WAS LAUNCHED ON JANUARY 16, 2003
*ITS FIRST FLIGHT WAS IN 1981
CLICK HERE FOR LINK TO VIDEO
THIS IS COLUMBIA TAKING OFF ON THE TRIP THAT IT EXPLODED, ITS 113TH TAKE-OFF!!