January 29, 2018 - Hail Columbia
Hail Columbia What began as an ambitious mission ended fifteen years ago this week as a tragedy that redefined NASA. When the shuttle Columbia ascended to orbit on the 16-day STS-107 microgravity and Earth science mission, a piece of insulating foam struck and damaged the leading edge of the orbiter’s left wing. During reentry, hot gases penetrated inside the damaged area, causing the orbiter to become unstable and disintegrate. All seven astronauts aboard perished. As a result of the accident, the shuttle fleet was grounded until 2005, and NASA embarked on a new era in space exploration that involved retiring the shuttle fleet in 2011 and developing the Orion spacecraft for human flights to the Moon and Mars. This image from orbit was taken just a few days before the fateful end of STS-107.
Image credit: NASA
Weekly Calendar
January 29 - February 4, 2018
Holidays - Sky Events - Space History
Monday 29
1964: SA-5 launched, first Saturn I Block 2 rocket
1989: Phobos 2 enters orbit around Mars
Tuesday 30
Moon at perigee
1964: Ranger 6 launched
Wednesday 31
Ceres at opposition
Full Moon 8:28 AM ET
1958: Explorer 1 launched
1961: Mercury Redstone 2 suborbital flight with chimpanzee Ham
1966: Luna 9 launched
1971: Apollo 14 launched
1985: ESA approves the Columbus program
Thursday 1
Regulus 1° south of Moon
1956: Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA) established
1959: First Titan I launch
2003: Space shuttle Columbia destroyed during reentry; 7 astronauts die
Friday 2
Saturday 3
1966: Luna 9 lands on Moon
1984: STS-41B Challenger launched
1994: STS-60 Discovery launched
1995: STS-63 Discovery launched; Eileen Collins first woman shuttle pilot
2006: Astronauts aboard the ISS launch SuitSat satellite
Sunday 4
1906: Clyde Tombaugh born