It was a tragedy for the U.S. space program.
It was 20 years ago today that the space shuttle Columbia, returning from space and re-entering the atmosphere over California at 23 times of the speed of sound, when they told Houston control they had a problem.
Minutes later, the space shuttle, with seven astronauts on board, blew apart with the debris falling from the sky and strewn over parts of Texas. NASA control knew that 80-seconds into the flight two weeks earlier, a piece of foam insulation had broken off the edge of the shuttle’s left wing.
But the same thing had happened on three previous space shuttle flights with no damage, and while NASA engineers said it could cause major damage, even if it did, there was little they could do about it in space. The dice was rolled and the luck ran out.
An investigation months later found that it would have been possible either for the Columbia crew to repair the damage to the wing in space or for the crew to be rescued by another shuttle.
A lot has happened with the U.S. space program in these last 20 years. But what has not changed is the fact that space exploration is filled with risks. Risks that brave men and women have accepted and still do today.
And today is a reminder not only to remember the seven who died in 2003, but to honor and thank all those who risk their own lives, from astronauts in space to first responders on the ground, who choose to things that help us all.
READ MORE about what happened.
(Photo Getty Images)