On February 1, 2003, the space shuttle Columbia fell apart as it returned to Earth after spending more than two weeks in space. [‘On This Day in Space’ Video Series on Space.com](https://www.space.com/39251-on-this-day-in-space.html)
The accident instantly killed all seven astronauts on board. This was the second fatal accident of the space shuttle program following the Challenger disaster in 1986, and NASA suspended space shuttle flights for more than two years as it investigated the disaster. Investigators found that a piece of foam had broken off of the shuttle's external fuel tank during launch. That chunk of foam hit the shuttle's left wing and damaged the heat shield, which ultimately led to the spacecraft's destruction.
The accident instantly killed all seven astronauts on board. This was the second fatal accident of the space shuttle program following the Challenger disaster in 1986, and NASA suspended space shuttle flights for more than two years as it investigated the disaster. Investigators found that a piece of foam had broken off of the shuttle's external fuel tank during launch. That chunk of foam hit the shuttle's left wing and damaged the heat shield, which ultimately led to the spacecraft's destruction.
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