How the Columbia Tragedy Revolutionized Space Exploration

The CNN Original Series “Space Shuttle Columbia: The Final Flight” reveals the chain of events that resulted in tragedy. You can catch the four-part documentary finale at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Sunday.

The Columbia shuttle disaster, more than any other event in NASA’s history, forced the space agency to rethink its approach to innovation. It changed how NASA weighs risk against the desire to venture into the unknown beyond our planet.

The Columbia shuttle tragedy on February 1, 2003, resulted in the loss of seven astronauts when the spacecraft disintegrated upon reentry to Earth. The damage sustained during launch was identified as the cause of the disaster. Over two decades later, the impact of this event continues to influence the space industry and NASA's collaboration with private partners like SpaceX.

A formal investigation conducted six months after the Columbia disaster highlighted the need for changes within NASA. The report revealed a culture of complacency and a misguided reliance on the experimental design of the space shuttle, which ultimately led to the tragic outcome.

Staff engineers raised concerns about vehicle safety, but management did not address them. This was highlighted in a recent CNN docuseries, "Space Shuttle Columbia: The Final Flight."

As a result of the disaster, NASA made the decision to terminate the broader space shuttle program. This forced the US space agency to depend on Russia for transportation to space, marking one of the many significant impacts of the Columbia tragedy on history.

Cultural changes: ‘Safety days,’ review boards and round tables

The Columbia disaster was the second tragic event for the shuttle program, following the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger during launch in January 1986.

After the Columbia disaster, NASA decided to ground its three remaining shuttles in order to investigate what had gone wrong.

Wayne Hale, who was the deputy manager of the space shuttle program at the time, mentioned in an interview with CNN that NASA spent over a year focusing on promoting a culture of prioritizing safety. They also worked on ensuring that individuals with differing opinions or questions felt comfortable speaking up and being heard.

Evelyn Husband, the wife of Columbia Commander Rick D. Husband, along with NASA Associate Administrator Bill Readdy, placed a wreath on October 28, 2003, at the Astronaut Memorial in Kennedy Space Center. This dedication ceremony added the Columbia crew to the memorial.

Bruce Weaver/AFP/Getty Images

Some changes were made to improve functionality. For example, an audio-conferencing system was upgraded to video. Additionally, a round table was brought in to replace the rectangular table in the shuttle mission's management team meeting room.

Hale mentioned that according to the sociologist, having a straight, long table with the father figure at the head could discourage people from speaking up.

Additionally, NASA implemented "safety days" where engineers would pause work to reflect on ways to enhance the organization's safety approach.

Shifting perspectives

The tragedy touched the entire NASA organization, leaving a legacy with which the remaining astronaut corps had to contend.

"It obviously had an emotional impact on us," shared Garrett Reisman, a spacecraft engineer from California. In 2003, he was part of the NASA astronaut corps, eagerly awaiting his first space mission.

"I recall being asked to help out with families," Reisman added.

For two years, his main role at NASA was to support the family of Ilan Ramon, the Israeli astronaut who passed away during the Columbia mission. He accompanied Ramon’s children to their school counselor to assist them in choosing their classes. Along with fellow astronauts, he assisted in locating a new home for Ramon’s wife. To this day, Reisman continues to visit the family in Israel annually.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The STS-107 crew arrives at KSC to take part in Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities. Standing, left to right, are Payload Commander Michael Anderson, Pilot William "Willie" McCool, Commander Rick Husband, Mission Specialist David Brown, Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon (the first Israeli astronaut), and Mission Specialists Laurel Clark and Kalpana Chawla. STS-107 is a mission devoted to research and will include more than 80 experiments that will study Earth and space science, advanced technology development, and astronaut health and safety.

The STS-107 crew has arrived at Kennedy Space Center in Florida to participate in the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities. The crew members include Payload Commander Michael Anderson, Pilot William "Willie" McCool, Commander Rick Husband, Mission Specialist David Brown, Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon (the first Israeli astronaut), and Mission Specialists Laurel Clark and Kalpana Chawla.

STS-107 is a research mission that will involve over 80 experiments focusing on Earth and space science, advanced technology development, and astronaut health and safety. NASA is excited about the upcoming mission and the valuable scientific discoveries that will be made.

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"It really made me realize the impact, not only on you as the astronaut, but also on all the people who care about you," Reisman shared. "That thought stuck with me."

Reisman participated in two shuttle missions following the program's return to flight in 2005. During this time, NASA implemented various safety measures, such as ensuring a backup shuttle was ready to rescue crew members in space in case their primary vehicle was compromised during launch.

Reisman said that despite some lingering worries, the changes brought a sense of security. He mentioned that there were new inspection and repair methods in place. Reisman felt that flying on Endeavour, Atlantis, and Discovery (the three remaining shuttles) was much safer than what the crews on Columbia, and especially Challenger, had faced.

NASA is now relying on Russia for transporting its astronauts to the International Space Station since the space shuttle Atlantis finished its last flight in July 2011.

The program's end led the space agency to seek help from Russia. In the post-Cold War era, Russia was a key partner for the US on the space station. They had a dependable spacecraft called Soyuz to transport their cosmonauts to the orbiting outpost.

This partnership ensured that NASA astronauts could continue their space missions. However, as tensions between the US and Russia heightened again in the mid-2010s, the idea of sharing rides to space became less favorable politically.

Culture clashes in the commercial world

By the end of the shuttle program, a contingent of engineers within NASA already had ideas for the path ahead.

NASA could consider outsourcing the design and development of the next spacecraft to the private space industry instead of doing it in-house.

Hale and Reisman recognized that commercial companies had more freedom to innovate after the Columbia incident.

Hale mentioned that a major challenge was balancing NASA's bureaucratic paperwork with the culture of a commercial company. He found some of NASA's requirements to be excessive at times.

In 2014, NASA chose SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, and Boeing as the companies to undertake the task.

In this handout image from NASA taken by the International Space Station crew, the Space Shuttle Discovery performs a 360 degree flip. )

In this handout image from NASA taken by the International Space Station crew, the Space Shuttle Discovery performs a 360 degree flip. )

NASA/Getty Images

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Excited about the potential of advancing space travel and creating new opportunities for astronauts, Reisman made the decision to depart from NASA in 2011 to join SpaceX and contribute to the development of its Crew Dragon spacecraft.

After the Columbia tragedy, NASA and its commercial partners often did not agree on certain matters. This led to a clash of cultures that happened out of the public eye.

According to Reisman, there was an organizational chart detailing the various NASA review boards that engineers working on NASA programs had to go through to get approval for major design decisions. Following the Columbia incident, NASA began to listen to opposing viewpoints so intensely that these dissenting voices essentially had the power to veto decisions.

Meetings between SpaceX and NASA were long and painful, as seen in records from that time. However, SpaceX was able to get its Crew Dragon to the launchpad. In 2020, its first crewed mission brought astronaut launches back to US soil after a ten-year gap.

Boeing is still working toward the first crewed mission of its Starliner spacecraft.

Redefining rocket design

The design of modern US spacecraft has been greatly influenced by the lessons learned from the Columbia and Challenger explosions.

One significant improvement is placing the crew on top of the rocket instead of on the side. This change eliminates the risk of debris from the vehicle hitting the spacecraft, making it safer for astronauts.

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the Crew Dragon spacecraft with four astronauts aboard, launched from Kennedy Space Center on October 5, 2022. The spacecraft successfully docked at the International Space Station on October 6.

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

“A lot of those things were baked into the requirements that NASA gave us,” he said, referring to instructions given to SpaceX and Boeing.

In this new era of rocketry, Crew Dragon, Starliner, and NASA's Orion capsule are designed to launch atop rockets instead of being strapped to the side of them.

With commercial companies taking the lead, the challenge is to avoid the complacency that led to the Columbia disaster, according to Hale.

As an old retiree, my main worry now is whether the lessons taught are still being effectively shared after all these years. Are people beginning to forget after 20 years? According to Hale, it is crucial to continue to be vigilant and ensure that these lessons are not lost.

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