## Historical Resources

# Remembering the Columbia STS-107 Mission

The Columbia STS-107 mission lifted off on January 16, 2003, for a 17-day science mission featuring numerous microgravity experiments. Upon reentering the atmosphere on February 1, 2003, the Columbia orbiter suffered a catastrophic failure due to a breach that occurred during launch when falling foam from the External Tank struck the Reinforced Carbon Carbon panels on the underside of the left wing. The orbiter and its seven crew members were lost approximately 15 minutes before Columbia was scheduled to touch down at Kennedy Space Center. This page presents information about the STS-107 flight, as well as information related to the accident and subsequent investigation by the formal Columbia Accident Investigation Board.

STS-107 Crew Biographies

STS-107 Mission

Timelines

Documents

Congressional Documents

Executive Branch Documents

Columbia Accident Investigation Board

CAIB Photo Gallery

Bibliographies

Related Links

## The STS-107 Crew

          -  					Rick D. Husband				 
          -  					William C. McCool				 
          -  					Michael P. Anderson				 
          -  					David Brown				 
          -  					Kalpana Chawla 				 
          -  					Laurel Blair Salton Clark				 
          -  					Ilan Ramon				 

## Rick D. Husband

Commander

Rick Husband, 45, a colonel in the U.S. Air Force, was a test pilot and veteran of one spaceflight. He served as commander for STS-107. Husband received a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from Texas Tech University in 1980 and a master of science in mechanical engineering from California State University-Fresno in 1990. As commander, Husband was responsible for the overall conduct of the mission. During the mission, he maneuvered Columbia as part of several experiments in the shuttle’s payload bay that focused on the Earth and the Sun. He was also the senior member of the Red Team and worked with the following experiments: European Research In Space and Terrestrial Osteoporosis (ERISTO); Mediterranean Israeli Dust Experiment (MEIDEX); Osteoporosis Experiment in Orbit (OSTEO); the Physiology and Biochemistry Team (PhAB4) suite of experiments, which included Calcium Kinetics, Latent Virus Shedding, Protein Turnover and Renal Stone Risk; and Shuttle Ozone Limb Sounding Experiment (SOLSE-2).Selected by NASA in December 1994, Husband served as the pilot of STS-96 in 1999 – a 10-day mission during which the crew performed the first docking with the International Space Station. Prior to STS-107, Husband logged more than 235 hours in space.
				Read His Biography                			

## William C. McCool

Pilot

William C. McCool, 41, a commander in the U.S. Navy, was a former test pilot. He served as pilot for STS-107. He received a bachelor of science in applied science from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1983, a master of science in computer science from the University of Maryland in 1985, and a master of science in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in 1992. McCool, as a member of the Blue Team, worked with the following experiments: European Space Agency (ESA) Advanced Respiratory Monitoring System (ARMS); ESA Biopack (eight experiments); Mediterranean Israeli Dust Experiment (MEIDEX); and the Physiology and Biochemistry Team (PhAB4) suite of experiments, which included Calcium Kinetics, Latent Virus Shedding, Protein Turnover and Renal Stone Risk. He was also responsible for maneuvering Columbia as part of several experiments mounted in the shuttle’s payload bay.Selected by NASA in April 1996, McCool was making his first spaceflight.
				Read His Biography                			

## Michael P. Anderson

Payload Commander 

Michael P. Anderson, 43, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force, was a former instructor pilot and tactical officer, and a veteran of one spaceflight. He served as Payload Commander and Mission Specialist 3 for STS-107. As payload commander he was responsible for the success (management) of the science mission aboard STS-107. Anderson received a bachelor of science in physics/astronomy from University of Washington in 1981 and a master of science in physics from Creighton University in 1990. Anderson, as a member of the Blue Team, worked with the following experiments: European Space Agency Advanced Respiratory Monitoring System (ARMS); Combustion Module (CM-2), which included the Laminar Soot Processes (LSP), Water Mist Fire Suppression (MIST) and Structures of Flame Balls at Low Lewis-number (SOFBALL) experiments; Mediterranean Israeli Dust Experiment (MEIDEX); Mechanics of Granular Materials (MGM); and the Physiology and Biochemistry Team (PhAB4) suite of experiments, which included Calcium Kinetics, Latent Virus Shedding, Protein Turnover and Renal Stone Risk.Selected by NASA in December 1994, Anderson flew on STS-89 in 1998 – the eighth Shuttle-Mir docking mission. Prior to STS-107, Anderson logged over 211 hours in space.
				Read His Biography                			

## David Brown

Mission Specialist 1

David M. Brown, 46, a captain in the U.S. Navy, was a naval aviator and flight surgeon. He served as Mission Specialist 1 for STS-107. Brown received a bachelor of science in biology from the College of William and Mary in 1978 and a doctorate in medicine from Eastern Virginia Medical School in 1982. Brown, as a member of the Blue Team, worked with the following experiments: European Space Agency Advanced Respiratory Monitoring System (ARMS); Combustion Module (CM-2), which included the Laminar Soot Processes (LSP), Water Mist Fire Suppression (MIST) and Structures of Flame Balls at Low Lewis-number (SOFBALL) experiments; Mediterranean Israeli Dust Experiment (MEIDEX); and the Physiology and Biochemistry Team (PhAB4) suite of experiments, which included Calcium Kinetics, Latent Virus Shedding, Protein Turnover and Renal Stone Risk.Selected by NASA in April 1996, Brown was making his first spaceflight.
				Read His Biography                			

## Kalpana Chawla

Mission Specialist 2

Kalpana Chawla, 41, was an aerospace engineer and an FAA Certified Flight Instructor. Chawla served as Flight Engineer and Mission Specialist 2 for STS-107. She received a bachelor of science in aeronautical engineering from Punjab Engineering College, India, in 1982, a master of science in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas-Arlington in 1984, and a doctorate in aerospace engineering from the University of Colorado-Boulder in 1988. As a member of the Red Team, Chawla, with CDR Rick Husband, was responsible for maneuvering Columbia as part of several experiments in the shuttle’s payload bay. Chawla also worked with the following experiments: Astroculture (AST); Advanced Protein Crystal Facility (APCF); Commercial Protein Crystal Growth (CPCG_PCF); Biotechnology Demonstration System (BDS); ESA Biopack (eight experiments); Combustion Module (CM-2), which included the Laminar Soot Processes (LSP), Water Mist Fire Suppression (MIST) and Structures of Flame Balls at Low Lewisnumber (SOFBALL) experiments; Mechanics of Granular Materials (MGM); Vapor Compression Distillation Flight Experiment (VCD FE); and the Zeolite Crystal Growth Furnace (ZCG).Selected by NASA in December 1994, Chawla was the prime robotic arm operator on STS-87 in 1997, the fourth U.S. Microgravity Payload flight. STS-87 focused on how the weightless environment of space affects various physical processes. Prior to STS-107, Chawla logged more than 376 hours in space.
				Read Her Biography                			

## Laurel Blair Salton Clark

Mission Specialist

Laurel Clark, 41, a commander (captain-select) in the U.S. Navy and a naval flight surgeon, was Mission Specialist 4 on STS-107. Clark received a bachelor of science in zoology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1983 and a doctorate in medicine from the same school in 1987. Clark, as a member of the Red Team, worked with the following experiments: European Space Agency (ESA) Advanced Respiratory Monitoring System (ARMS); Astroculture (AST-1 and 2); Biotechnology Demonstration System (BDS); ESA Biopack (eight experiments); Application of Physical & Biological Techniques to Study the Gravisensing and Response System of Plants: Magnetic Field Apparatus (Biotube-MFA); Closed Equilibrated Biological Aquatic System (CEBAS); Commercial ITA Biological Experiments (CIBX); the Microbial Physiology Flight Experiments Team (MPFE) experiments, which included the Effects of Microgravity on Microbial Physiology and Spaceflight Effects on Fungal Growth, Metabolism and Sensitivity to Antifungal Drugs; Osteoporosis Experiment in Orbit (OSTEO); the Physiology and Biochemistry Team (PhAB4) suite of experiments, which included Calcium Kinetics, Latent Virus Shedding, Protein Turnover and Renal Stone Risk; Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure During Spaceflight (SLEEP); and the Vapor Compression Distillation Flight Experiment (VCD FE).Selected by NASA in April 1996, Clark was making her first spaceflight.
				Read Her Biography                			

## Ilan Ramon

Payload Specialist 1 

Ilan Ramon, 48, a colonel in the Israeli Air Force, was a fighter pilot who was the only payload specialist on STS-107. Ramon received a bachelor of science in electronics and computer engineering from the University of Tel Aviv, Israel, in 1987. Ramon, as a member of the Red Team, was the prime crewmember for the Mediterranean Israeli Dust Experiment (MEIDEX), a multispectral camera that measured small dust particles (dust aerosols) in the atmosphere over the Mediterranean and the Saharan coast of the Atlantic. He worked with the following experiments: European Space Agency Advanced Respiratory Monitoring System (ARMS); Astroculture (AST-1 and 2); Biological Research in Canister – Development of Gravity Sensitive Plant Cells in Microgravity (BRIC); Combustion Module (CM-2), which included the Laminar Soot Processes (LSP), Water Mist Fire Suppression (MIST) and Structures of Flame Balls at Low Lewis-number (SOFBALL) experiments; the Microbial Physiology Flight Experiments Team (MPFE) experiments, which included the Effects of Microgravity on Microbial Physiology and Spaceflight Effects on Fungal Growth, Metabolism and Sensitivity to Anti-fungal Drugs; the Physiology and Biochemistry Team (PhAB4) suite of experiments, which included Calcium Kinetics, Latent Virus Shedding, Protein Turnover and Renal Stone Risk; and Space Technology and Research Students Bootes (STARS Bootes).Ramon was selected as a Payload Specialist by the Israeli Air Force in 1997 and approved by NASA in 1998. He reported for training at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston in July 1998 and was making his first spaceflight.
				Read His Biography                			

All Crewed Missions

## STS-107

The first shuttle mission in 2003, STS-107 mission marked the 113th flight overall in NASA's Space Shuttle program and the 28th flight of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia. While en…
Learn More

## Timelines

### Columbia Chronology

This chronology outlines some of the major accident-related flight events of STS-107. It was compiled by Jennifer Troxell in the NASA History Office from the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) Report Volume 1, the CAIB STS-107 Mishap Investigation-Master Time Line, and the Statement for the Record of Administrator Sean O’Keefe, NASA Administrator, at a joint session of the House Committee on Science Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics and Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on February 12, 2003.

Visit the Chronology

### Summary Timeline-Rev 15

The STS-107 Timeline-Rev 15 outlines the reentry progress of the Space Shuttle Columbia. It was created by the NASA/CAIB Integrated Time Line Team and was used by the CAIB in recreating and analyzing the accident. It is incredibly detailed and is color-coded for nominal and off-nominal events. It originally appeared on the CAIB Web site.

Explore the Timeline

### Master Timeline-Rev 15

The STS-107 Timeline-Rev 15 outlines the reentry progress of the Space Shuttle Columbia. It was created by the NASA/CAIB Integrated Time Line Team and was used by the CAIB in recreating and analyzing the accident. It is incredibly detailed and is color-coded for nominal and off-nominal events. It originally appeared on the CAIB Web site.

Explore the Timeline

### Ground Track, Events Summary, and Sighting Data

This document was created based on the STS-107 Timeline-Rev 15. It originally appeared on the CAIB website. An acronym list for this report also originally appeared on the CAIB Web site.

Download the Document

## Columbia Accident Investigation Documents

NASA's Johnson Space Center FOIA library includes a collection of documents relating to the Columbia Accident Investigation.
Visit the Collection

## 				Documents			

## The Columbia Crew Survival Investigation Report

A comprehensive study of crew safety equipment and procedures used during the space shuttle Columbia accident with recommendations for improving the safety of all future human spaceflights was released on December 30, 2008.

## Columbia Sensor Diagrams

PowerPoint slides that were originally located on the NASA Human Space Flight STS-107 Investigation Reference Page. These diagrams were presented by NASA to the CAIB on March 17, 2003.

## Shuttle Recovery Operations Map

This map depicts the Columbia debris search area. The map was originally located on the NASA Human Space Flight STS-107 Investigation Reference Page.

## Columbia NASA Press Releases

This page contains a number of press releases related to the STS-107 flight, accident, recovery efforts, and memorials.

## 				Congressional Documents			

## Congressional Research Service (CRS) CAIB Fact Sheet

Created by Marcia S. Smith of the CRS, this document summarizes the CAIB report.

## U.S. House of Representatives Documents

Statements made by members of the House and material from the series of House hearings conducted following the STS-107 accident.

## U.S. Senate Documents

Material from the series of Senate hearings conducted following the STS-107 accident.

## 				Executive Branch Documents			

## President Addresses Nation on Columbia

February 1, 2003

## Flags at Half-Staff

February 1, 2003

## President Attends Memorial Service

February 4, 2003

## Emergency Declaration on Shuttle Columbia

February 6, 2003

## Vice President at National Cathedral Memorial Service

February 6, 2003

## Joint Statement by Bush and Putin

June 1, 2003

## August 26 Statement on CAIB

August 26, 2003

## 				The Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB)			

## The CAIB Charter

An outline of the purpose of the board and its members.

## Member Biographies

Biographies of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board members.

## The CAIB Synopsis

A brief overview of the CAIB and its recommendations written by Jennifer Troxell of the NASA History Office.

## Columbia Recommendation Spreadsheet

Compiled by Jennifer Troxell of the NASA History Office, this spreadsheet connects the CAIB findings with the various recommendations presented in the CAIB report.

## CAIB Preliminary Recommendations

Recommendations from the CAIB published in advance of the final report.

## STS-107 Working Scenario

This working scenario was created by the CAIB and NASA’s Accident Investigation Team. It documents known facts about the accident, includes timelines, and also presents relevant historical information about the STS-107 mission. It originally appeared on the CAIB website.

## Foam Impact Velocity Demonstration

This document details the process by which the CAIB determined the debris impact speed on the orbiter. It originally appeared on the CAIB website.

## The CAIB Report

The six volumes of the report are available for download.

## Columbia Accident Investigation Board

68 Images

Go To Gallery

Go To Gallery

## 				Bibliographies			

## American Manned Spacecraft Accidents

A bibliography compiled by the NASA Headquarters library staff. It has references to the Columbia accident.

## Columbia Accident Information Sources

A bibliography that was compiled by the NASA Headquarters library staff. It gives several sources of information for further research.

## Organizational Culture

This is a highly selective bibliography that contains just some of the resources available about organizational culture. It was compiled by Jennifer Troxell of the NASA History Office based on some of the footnotes provided in the Columbia Accident Investigation Report.

## Toward a History of the Space Shuttle: An Annotated Bibliography, Part 1

Published in 1992, Monograph 1 in the NASA History Series

## Toward a History of the Space Shuttle: An Annotated Bibliography, Part 2, 1992–2011

Published in 2012, Monograph 49 in the NASA History Series contains a chapter specifically about the STS-107 accident.

## Related Links

Explore NASA's media galleries to view and download high-resolution images of the solar system, agency missions, and more.

### The STS-107 Press Kit

This press kit was given out prior to the STS-107 mission and outlines the scientific research conducted.

Download the Press Kit

### Apollo 1 (204)

Information regarding the mission, crew, and investigation of the Apollo 1 accident.

Visit the Apollo 1 Site

### The STS-51L Challenger Accident

Information regarding the mission, crew, and investigation of the STS-51L accident.

Learn More About STS-51L

### History of the Space Shuttle

General space shuttle information from the NASA History Office.

Space Shuttle History

### Arlington Memorial

Information about the Columbia Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery.

Learn About the Memorial

### Return to Flight

The Return to Flight Task Group was charged with delivering an independent assessment of NASA's Return to Flight efforts.

Visit the Return to Flight Website

### A Renewed Commitment to Excellence

A Renewed Commitment to Excellence: An Assessment of the NASA Agency-wide Applicability of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board Report, January 30, 2004:

Read this Report

## Discover More Topics From NASA

NASA History

NASA Day of Remembrance

Shuttle Missions

Challenger STS-51L Accident