Today marks 20 years since space shuttle Columbia broke apart during reentry, killing the entire crew of seven.
NASA had high hopes for Columbia's 28th mission. It rocketed into space on Jan. 16, 2003, to begin a 16-day microgravity research mission.
"Scientists on the ground were overjoyed at their performance and amazed at the greater than expected science return from the mission," NASA stated. On Feb. 1, 2003, the crew was given the go-ahead to deorbit and return to earth. Mission control lost contact with Columbia as it broke apart at an altitude of 207,000 feet. The crew was 16 minutes from landing at the Kennedy Space Center, NASA said.
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