On January 16, 2003, the Space Shuttle Columbia launched for the final time. This spacecraft was well-known for being the first Space Shuttle ever launched - first launched during mission STS-1 in April 1981. The mission, known as mission STS-107, faced an unfortunate fate 16 days after launch, as it disintegrated upon re-entering the Earth's atmosphere on February 1, 2003, killing all seven crew members on board. This incident became notoriously known as the "Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster" and was discovered to be caused by a piece of foam insulation that broke off during launch.
