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STS-107
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<p>STS-107 was the 113th flight of the <a href="/facts/Space_Shuttle_program/6Ikdvwsw">Space Shuttle program</a>, and the 28th and final flight of <a href="/facts/Space_Shuttle_Columbia/uF51RXWM">Space Shuttle <i>Columbia</i></a>. The mission ended on February 1, 2003, with the <a href="/facts/Space_Shuttle_Columbia_disaster/gsTyKuLM">Space Shuttle <i>Columbia</i> disaster</a> which killed all seven crew members and destroyed the space shuttle. It was the 88th post-<a href="/facts/Challenger_disaster/HMBh3T7Q"><i>Challenger</i> disaster</a> mission. </p><p>The flight launched from <a href="/facts/Kennedy_Space_Center/zmwszuPr">Kennedy Space Center</a> in Florida on January 16, 2003. It spent 15 days, 22 hours, 20 minutes, 32 seconds in <a href="/facts/Orbit/nD2TPySG">orbit</a>. The crew conducted a multitude of international scientific experiments. The disaster occurred during reentry while the orbiter was over <a href="/facts/Texas/B987WHF0">Texas</a>. </p><p>Immediately after the disaster, NASA convened the <a href="/facts/Columbia_Accident_Investigation_Board/LpQ2cUDT"><i>Columbia</i> Accident Investigation Board</a> to determine the cause of the disintegration. The source of the failure was determined to have been caused by a piece of <a href="/facts/Foam/kGrXWWcb">foam</a> that broke off during launch and damaged the thermal protection system (<a href="/facts/Reinforced_carbon-carbon/hDRQD3W2">reinforced carbon-carbon</a> panels and <a href="/facts/Thermal_protection_tiles/1rHI1w6q">thermal protection tiles</a>) on the leading edge of the <a href="/facts/Space_Shuttle_orbiter/pD50Txk9">orbiter's</a> left wing. During re-entry the damaged wing slowly overheated and came apart, eventually leading to loss of control and disintegration of the vehicle. The cockpit window frame is now exhibited in a memorial inside the Space Shuttle <i><a href="/facts/Space_Shuttle_Atlantis/3NQUThEB">Atlantis</a></i> Pavilion at the Kennedy Space Center. </p><p>The damage to the thermal protection system on the wing was similar to that of <i><a href="/facts/Space_Shuttle_Atlantis/3NQUThEB">Atlantis</a></i> which had also sustained damage in 1988 during <a href="/facts/STS-27/mCNr7FMo">STS-27</a>, the second mission after the <a href="/facts/Space_Shuttle_Challenger_disaster/HMBh3T7Q">Space Shuttle <i>Challenger</i> disaster</a>. However, the damage on STS-27 occurred at a spot that had more robust metal (a thin steel plate near the landing gear), and that mission survived the re-entry. </p>