Summary Of 3 Nasa Tragedies

The third of three NASA tragedies occurred in February of 2003. During re-entry after two week mission, the Columbia shuttle broke apart. A thorough investigation linked the cause to a section of the silica ceramic insulation foam that lined the underbelly of the spacecraft. The entire crew was killed. Lost or damaged insulation tiles have been a reoccurring issue that never escalated into life threatening status until now.

During the investigation, NASA officials noticed that a chunk of foam was dislodged during the initial launch. The momentum of that dislodged tile was transferred to the left wing of the shuttle - opening up a hole that was not noticed by NASA observers during the duration of its 16 day flight.

It was only on re-entry