Hear KRLD's coverage of the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster 20 years later
Today marks twenty years since disaster struck the skies of North Texas as the Space Shuttle Columbia exploded, scattering debris across parts of Texas and taking the lives of the seven astronauts who were on board.
By all accounts, it was a peaceful Saturday with clear blue skies. NASA's Columbia Space Shuttle was on its descent toward Florida after a 16-day mission when reports of a loud, explosive noise came pouring in.KRLD received a call from a man who was watching the flyover through binoculars when he noticed a significant amount of debris coming off of the space shuttle. Soon after the call, NASA confirmed that contact with Columbia was lost, and the spacecraft had disentegrated.
The remains of seven astronauts were recovered near the Texas-Louisiana line, including UT Arlington alumna Kalpana Chawla. The school has since named a residence hall and scholarship to honor her legacy. Tune into KRLD as we take a look back to February 1, 2003, and pay homage to the seven brave astronauts who lost their lives in the pursuit of progress.
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