We The People: This Day in History, February 1
Space Shuttle Columbia Disintegrates Over Texas Kills Seven Crew Members
LUBBOCK, Texas (KWTX) - On February 1, 2003, the space shuttle Columbia broke apart over Texas during reentry, killing all seven crew members.
Commander Rick Husband was from Amarillo and graduated from Texas Tech University.
Columbia’s catastrophic failure resulted from foam insulation that struck the shuttle’s left wing during launch on January 16th.
When the shuttle reentered the atmosphere on February 1st, the damaged heat-resistant tiles allowed superheated gases to penetrate the wing, causing it to disintegrate.
The first debris fell near Lubbock, and by 9 a.m., Columbia had completely broken apart near Dallas.
Residents witnessed loud booms and smoke plumes as debris scattered across East Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
An investigation later revealed the crew could have been rescued had the damage been properly addressed.
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