Editor's note: The CNN Original Series "Space Shuttle Columbia: The Final Flight" uncovers the events that ultimately led to disaster. New episodes air at 9 p.m. ET/PT Sunday, April 14.

The space shuttle Columbia lifted off on its final flight the morning of January 16, 2003, carrying NASA astronauts Michael P. Anderson, David M. Brown, Kalpana Chawla, Laurel B. Clark, Rick D. Husband, William C. "Willie" McCool and Ilan Ramon of the Israeli Space Agency toward clear blue skies and into orbit around Earth.

It was the 28th mission to space for Columbia, NASA's first reusable space shuttle. Over the course of 16 days, the crew carried out many of their 80 planned research experiments in microgravity.

But when Columbia reentered Earth's atmosphere on February 1, 2003, the shuttle broke apart over Texas due to damage created by a foam strike on the shuttle's left wing after liftoff, and the crew was tragically lost.

The crew of NASA's STS-107 mission attends a news conference at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on December 20, 2002. Pictured from left are payload commander Michael P. Anderson; pilot William C. McCool; commander Rick D. Husband; mission specialist David M. Brown; mission specialist Laurel B. Clark; payload specialist Ilan Ramon; and mission specialist Kalpana Chawla.
The crew of NASA's STS-107 mission attends a news conference at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on December 20, 2002. Pictured from left are payload commander Michael P. Anderson; pilot William C. McCool; commander Rick D. Husband; mission specialist David M. Brown; mission specialist Laurel B. Clark; payload specialist Ilan Ramon; and mission specialist Kalpana Chawla.
Joe Skipper/Reuters
Space Shuttle Columbia sits on Launchpad 39A, atop the mobile launcher platform, at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on December 9, 2002.
Space Shuttle Columbia sits on Launchpad 39A, atop the mobile launcher platform, at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on December 9, 2002.
NASA
The STS-107 crew members wave to onlookers on their way to the launchpad for liftoff at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 16, 2003.
The STS-107 crew members wave to onlookers on their way to the launchpad for liftoff at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 16, 2003.
NASA/Courtesy of Scott Andrews
People work in the control room at NASA's Mission Control Center in Houston on January 16, 2003. Space Shuttle Columbia launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 10:39 a.m. ET.
People work in the control room at NASA's Mission Control Center in Houston on January 16, 2003. Space Shuttle Columbia launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 10:39 a.m. ET.
NASA/Getty Images
Members of the closeout crew help Anderson, front, with his launch and entry suit in the White Room at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 16, 2003. The environmentally controlled chamber was mated to Space Shuttle Columbia for access into the orbiter. Behind Anderson is McCool.
Members of the closeout crew help Anderson, front, with his launch and entry suit in the White Room at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 16, 2003. The environmentally controlled chamber was mated to Space Shuttle Columbia for access into the orbiter. Behind Anderson is McCool.
NASA
Space Shuttle Columbia lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 16, 2003. It was the 28th mission for the orbiter, with the STS-107 crew set to carry out experiments over the course of 16 days.
Space Shuttle Columbia lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 16, 2003. It was the 28th mission for the orbiter, with the STS-107 crew set to carry out experiments over the course of 16 days.
Karl Ronstrom/Reuters
The VIP stand at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida is filled with friends and families of the STS-107 crew on January 16, 2003. Representatives of Israel were there as well to support Ramon, the first Israeli astronaut and a colonel in the Israeli Air Force.
The VIP stand at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida is filled with friends and families of the STS-107 crew on January 16, 2003. Representatives of Israel were there as well to support Ramon, the first Israeli astronaut and a colonel in the Israeli Air Force.
NASA
Chawla performs work in the SPACEHAB Research Double Module (RDM) on January 18, 2003. She is pictured through the tunnel linking SPACEHAB to the Space Shuttle Columbia's crew cabin.
Chawla performs work in the SPACEHAB Research Double Module (RDM) on January 18, 2003. She is pictured through the tunnel linking SPACEHAB to the Space Shuttle Columbia's crew cabin.
NASA
Some of the STS-107 crew are pictured prior to their sleep shift in bunk beds on the middeck of Space Shuttle Columbia on January 20, 2003. From left are Clark, Husband and Chawla. Along with Ramon, out of frame, they were members of the Red Team; Anderson, Brown, and McCool were on the Blue Team. The teams worked opposite shifts in order to perform continuous research for 16 days.
Some of the STS-107 crew are pictured prior to their sleep shift in bunk beds on the middeck of Space Shuttle Columbia on January 20, 2003. From left are Clark, Husband and Chawla. Along with Ramon, out of frame, they were members of the Red Team; Anderson, Brown, and McCool were on the Blue Team. The teams worked opposite shifts in order to perform continuous research for 16 days.
NASA
The STS-107 crew pose for an in-flight portrait in the SPACEHAB RDM aboard Space Shuttle Columbia. This photo was on a roll of unprocessed film that searchers later recovered from debris.
The STS-107 crew pose for an in-flight portrait in the SPACEHAB RDM aboard Space Shuttle Columbia. This photo was on a roll of unprocessed film that searchers later recovered from debris.
NASA
Clark looks through an overhead window on the aft flight deck of Space Shuttle Columbia. This photo was on a roll of unprocessed film that searchers later recovered from debris.
Clark looks through an overhead window on the aft flight deck of Space Shuttle Columbia. This photo was on a roll of unprocessed film that searchers later recovered from debris.
NASA
A store employee in New York pauses to watch a breaking news broadcast about Space Shuttle Columbia minutes before its scheduled landing on February 1, 2003.
A store employee in New York pauses to watch a breaking news broadcast about Space Shuttle Columbia minutes before its scheduled landing on February 1, 2003.
Robert Giroux/Getty Images
Kathryn O'Neill of Laguna Hills, California, and her son Zachary kneel by the entrance sign of Johnson Space Center in Houston on February 1, 2003. A makeshift memorial for the STS-107 crew had been set up there.
Kathryn O'Neill of Laguna Hills, California, and her son Zachary kneel by the entrance sign of Johnson Space Center in Houston on February 1, 2003. A makeshift memorial for the STS-107 crew had been set up there.
Brett Coomer/Getty Images
Former astronaut and then-Florida Sen. Bill Nelson addresses the news media at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on February 1, 2003. Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart during reentry over east Texas at around 9 a.m. ET, and the STS-107 crew was lost.
Former astronaut and then-Florida Sen. Bill Nelson addresses the news media at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on February 1, 2003. Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart during reentry over east Texas at around 9 a.m. ET, and the STS-107 crew was lost.
Matt Stroshane/Getty Images
Tommy Peltier of Houston stands next to debris from Space Shuttle Columbia that fell near San Augustine, Texas, on February 2, 2003.
Tommy Peltier of Houston stands next to debris from Space Shuttle Columbia that fell near San Augustine, Texas, on February 2, 2003.
Eric Gay/AP
Averi Forline, 4, plays with a model of a space shuttle as he visits a growing memorial outside the main gate of Johnson Space Center in Houston on February 3, 2003. The memorial was created by NASA workers and other Houstonians in honor of the STS-107 crew.
Averi Forline, 4, plays with a model of a space shuttle as he visits a growing memorial outside the main gate of Johnson Space Center in Houston on February 3, 2003. The memorial was created by NASA workers and other Houstonians in honor of the STS-107 crew.
Smiley N. Pool/Houston Chronicle/Getty Images
People attend a memorial for the STS-107 crew on the mall of the Johnson Space Center in Houston on February 4, 2003.
People attend a memorial for the STS-107 crew on the mall of the Johnson Space Center in Houston on February 4, 2003.
NASA
Capt. Gene Theriot, chaplain for the US Navy Corps, wipes his eyes as he and NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe listen to President George W. Bush speak during a memorial service at the Johnson Space Center in Houston on February 4, 2003. On Theriot's right is a portrait of the STS-107 crew. "To leave behind Earth and air and gravity is an ancient dream of humanity," <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.c-span.org%2Fvideo%2F%3F174923-1%2Fspace-shuttle-columbia-memorial-service" target="_blank" target="_blank">President Bush said</a>. "For these seven, it was a dream fulfilled. Each of these astronauts had the daring and discipline required of their calling. Each of them knew that great endeavors are inseparable from great risks. And each of them accepted those risks willingly, even joyfully, in the cause of discovery."
Capt. Gene Theriot, chaplain for the US Navy Corps, wipes his eyes as he and NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe listen to President George W. Bush speak during a memorial service at the Johnson Space Center in Houston on February 4, 2003. On Theriot's right is a portrait of the STS-107 crew. "To leave behind Earth and air and gravity is an ancient dream of humanity," President Bush said. "For these seven, it was a dream fulfilled. Each of these astronauts had the daring and discipline required of their calling. Each of them knew that great endeavors are inseparable from great risks. And each of them accepted those risks willingly, even joyfully, in the cause of discovery."
Smiley N. Pool/Houston Chronicle/AP
Ron Dittemore, NASA's space shuttle program manager, displays a piece of insulating foam, similar to that which coated Space Shuttle Columbia's fuel tank, during a briefing for the news media held at the Johnson Space Center in Houston on February 5, 2003.
Ron Dittemore, NASA's space shuttle program manager, displays a piece of insulating foam, similar to that which coated Space Shuttle Columbia's fuel tank, during a briefing for the news media held at the Johnson Space Center in Houston on February 5, 2003.
Joe Cavaretta/AP
Pieces of Space Shuttle Columbia that had been identified are placed within the outline of the orbiter on the reusable launch vehicle hangar floor at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 6, 2003. The Columbia Reconstruction Project Team was attempting to reconstruct the bottom of the orbiter as part of the investigation into what caused the destruction of Columbia and the loss of its crew.
Pieces of Space Shuttle Columbia that had been identified are placed within the outline of the orbiter on the reusable launch vehicle hangar floor at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 6, 2003. The Columbia Reconstruction Project Team was attempting to reconstruct the bottom of the orbiter as part of the investigation into what caused the destruction of Columbia and the loss of its crew.
NASA
Workers add the names of the STS-107 crew to the Space Mirror Memorial on July 15, 2003. Dedicated in May 1991, the memorial <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amfcse.org%2Fwho-we-honor" target="_blank" target="_blank">honors astronauts</a> who gave their lives for space exploration. It was created by the <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amfcse.org%2Fspace-mirror" target="_blank" target="_blank">Astronauts Memorial Foundation</a> and is accessible through the <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kennedyspacecenter.com%2Fexplore-attractions%2Fheroes-and-legends%2Fspace-mirror-memorial" target="_blank" target="_blank">Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex</a> in Florida.
Workers add the names of the STS-107 crew to the Space Mirror Memorial on July 15, 2003. Dedicated in May 1991, the memorial honors astronauts who gave their lives for space exploration. It was created by the Astronauts Memorial Foundation and is accessible through the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida.
NASA
Reporters ask NASA Administrator O'Keefe, visible in the monitor, questions about the "Columbia Accident Investigation Board Report" during a news conference at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC, on August 27, 2003.
Reporters ask NASA Administrator O'Keefe, visible in the monitor, questions about the "Columbia Accident Investigation Board Report" during a news conference at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC, on August 27, 2003.
Mannie Garcia/Reuters
A member of the Shoshone-Bannock Native American community from Fort Hall, Idaho, displays a handmade item with the STS-107 insignia on February 1, 2004. Dancers from Shoshone-Bannock Junior/Senior High School also performed a healing ceremony during the one-year anniversary event at the Space Memorial Mirror in Florida. Students and staff of the Shoshone-Bannock High School had an experiment on board Space Shuttle Columbia.
A member of the Shoshone-Bannock Native American community from Fort Hall, Idaho, displays a handmade item with the STS-107 insignia on February 1, 2004. Dancers from Shoshone-Bannock Junior/Senior High School also performed a healing ceremony during the one-year anniversary event at the Space Memorial Mirror in Florida. Students and staff of the Shoshone-Bannock High School had an experiment on board Space Shuttle Columbia.
NASA
Sandy Anderson, widow of Space Shuttle Columbia's Michael P. Anderson, is comforted by astronaut Carlos Noriega during the annual Day of Remembrance ceremony at the Johnson Space Center's Astronaut Tree Grove in Houston on January 27, 2011. Johnson Space Center Director Michael L. Coats is on the far left, and Evelyn Husband-Thomas, widow of the Columbia crew's Rick D. Husband, is on the right.
Sandy Anderson, widow of Space Shuttle Columbia's Michael P. Anderson, is comforted by astronaut Carlos Noriega during the annual Day of Remembrance ceremony at the Johnson Space Center's Astronaut Tree Grove in Houston on January 27, 2011. Johnson Space Center Director Michael L. Coats is on the far left, and Evelyn Husband-Thomas, widow of the Columbia crew's Rick D. Husband, is on the right.
Smiley N. Pool/Houston Chronicle/AP
Visitors look at display cases at the "Forever Remembered" exhibit for the astronauts who died on the Columbia and Challenger space shuttles, at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, on July 21, 2015. <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kennedyspacecenter.com%2Fexplore-attractions%2Fshuttle-a-ship-like-no-other%2Fforever-remembered" target="_blank" target="_blank">The exhibit</a> is permanent and "displays personal items from each astronaut and recovered hardware from both orbiters, including a section of Challenger's left fuselage with American flag and the framework of Columbia's cockpit windows," according to the Kennedy Space Center website.
Visitors look at display cases at the "Forever Remembered" exhibit for the astronauts who died on the Columbia and Challenger space shuttles, at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, on July 21, 2015. The exhibit is permanent and "displays personal items from each astronaut and recovered hardware from both orbiters, including a section of Challenger's left fuselage with American flag and the framework of Columbia's cockpit windows," according to the Kennedy Space Center website.
John Raoux/AP
Members of the Space Coast Voices sing the national anthem during the NASA Day of Remembrance ceremony at the Space Mirror Memorial in Florida on January 30, 2020. The crews of Apollo 1 and space shuttles Challenger and Columbia, as well as other fallen astronauts who lost their lives in the name of space exploration and discovery, were honored at the annual event.
Members of the Space Coast Voices sing the national anthem during the NASA Day of Remembrance ceremony at the Space Mirror Memorial in Florida on January 30, 2020. The crews of Apollo 1 and space shuttles Challenger and Columbia, as well as other fallen astronauts who lost their lives in the name of space exploration and discovery, were honored at the annual event.
Glenn Benson/NASA
A wreath is placed in front of the Space Mirror Memorial in Florida during the NASA Day of Remembrance on January 27, 2022.
A wreath is placed in front of the Space Mirror Memorial in Florida during the NASA Day of Remembrance on January 27, 2022.
Kim Shiflett/NASA