STS-107 was a Space Shuttle (8 pics) mission by NASA using the Space Shuttle (8 pics) Columbia, launched Jan. 16, 2003 (9 years ago). This was a multi-disciplinary microgravity and Earth science research mission with a multitude of international scientific investigations conducted continuously during 16 days in orbit. The seven-member crew died on Feb. 1, 2003 (9 years ago) when the shuttle disintegrated during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. The cause of the accident was determined to be a piece of foam that broke off during launch and damaged the thermal protection system components (reinforced carbon-carbon panels and thermal protection tiles) on the leading edge of the left wing of the Shuttle orbiter, causing an extensive heat build-up. During re-entry the damaged wing slowly overheated and came apart, eventually leading to loss of control and total disintegration of the vehicle. The mission of STS-107 STS-107 carried the SPACEHAB Double Research Module on its inaugural flight, the Freestar experiment (mounted on a Hitchhiker Program rack), and the Extended Duration Orbiter pallet. One of the experiments, a video taken to study atmospheric dust, may have detected a new atmospheric phenomenon, dubbed a "TIGER" (Transient Ionospheric Glow Emission in Red). On board the Columbia was a copy of a drawing by Petr Ginz, the editor-in-chief of the magazine Vedem, who depicted what he imagined the Earth looked like from the Moon when he was a 14-year-old prisoner in the Terezín concentration camp. The copy was in the possession of Ilan Ramon and was lost in the crash. Crew Commander: Rick D. Husband (Second spaceflight) Pilot: William C. McCool (First spaceflight) Mission Specialist 1: David M. Brown (First spaceflight) Mission Specialist 2: Kalpana Chawla (Second spaceflight, flight Engineer) Mission Specialist 4: Laurel B. Clark (First spaceflight) Payload Commander: Michael P. Anderson (Second spaceflight) Payload Specialist 1: Ilan Ramon from Israel (First spaceflight)

Navigation Previous picture Back to gallery Next picture View in fullscreen Rate this picture Click on the star to vote Download 1024x768 1152x864 - widescreen 1280x960 1440x1080 - 1080i HD 1600x1200 Use this wallpaper Set this wallpaper as homepage Comments

Users who have seen this wallpaper have also seen:

Star Trek Enterprise

Space Shuttle Discovery As Seen From MIR

Star Trek Enterprise

Cyclone Catarina from space

Star Trek Green Hills Of Earth

Random Space pictures

Giants

Universe

Space 54347

Space Walkers

Space Walkers

Request deletion of this wallpaper

Claim ownership of this picture