I don’t have live access to up-to-the-minute news right now, but I can summarize the history and current understanding based on well-established sources.
Direct answer: The space shuttle that famously blew up during reentry was Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-107), which disintegrated over Texas and parts reached the ground on February 1, 2003, killing all seven astronauts aboard.
Context and details
- What happened: Columbia broke apart during reentry over Texas due to damage to its left wing from a piece of external tank foam that struck the wing during launch, allowing extreme heat to penetrate the thermal protection system .
- Why it failed: A breach in the wing’s protective tiles allowed superheated air to melt aluminum structure and lead to a catastrophic loss of the vehicle and crew during entry .
- Aftermath: The disaster prompted widespread investigations, changes to safety culture at NASA, and program reviews aimed at preventing recurrence across the shuttle fleet .
If you’d like, I can pull the latest authoritative sources and provide a concise, citation-backed timeline of the Columbia disaster, including key findings from the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) report and any more recent retrospective analyses. I can also create a short comparison table of the major shuttle disasters (Challenger in 1986 and Columbia in 2003) for quick reference.
Sources
The cause of the disaster was the failure of the primary and secondary O-ring seals in a joint in the right Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster (SRB). The record-low temperatures on the morning of the launch had stiffened the rubber O-rings, reducing their ability to seal the joints. Shortly after liftoff, the seals were breached, and hot pressurized gas from within the SRB leaked through the joint and burned through the aft attachment strut connecting it to the external propellant tank (ET),...
wikipedia.nucleos.comSpace Shuttle Columbia blew up and disintegrated in flames over Texas Saturday morning, killing all seven astronauts aboard and scattering debris over four states and the Gulf of Mexico.
www.foxnews.com科学技術分野の 事故や 失敗の 知識と 教訓
www.shippai.orgFriday marks the beginning of a somber time of year for NASA, commemorating the first of three spaceflight disasters that have claimed the lives of 17 astronauts over the last 40 years.
www.space.comBoth physical and cultural problems led to the breakup of Space Shuttle Columbia in 2003, which claimed the lives of seven astronauts.
www.astronomy.comUsing robot arm to look over heat shield critical for re-entry to be sure it made it through launch in good shape
www.cbsnews.com