The Columbia shuttle was scheduled to land at the John F. Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on the morning of Feb. 1, 2003, after completing a successful 16-day research mission. Joining the families of the ship’s seven-member crew.
Columbia broke apart during reentry on February 1, 2003, killing all seven astronauts on board. For the Shuttle program, it marked the beginning of the end.