India recently celebrated a proud moment as Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force became the first Indian to reach the International Space Station (ISS). The achievement reminded many of Kalpana Chawla, the first Indian-born woman in space, whose life ended in one of NASA’s most tragic missions, the Columbia disaster in 2003.

The Columbia tragedy: What happened?

On February 1, 2003, NASA’s space shuttle Columbia broke apart while re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, killing all seven astronauts on board, including Kalpana Chawla. The shuttle had launched on January 16 for mission STS-107, which focused on conducting scientific experiments in space.

Just 82 seconds after launch, a piece of foam insulation from the external fuel tank broke off and hit the left wing of the shuttle at nearly 800 km/h. Although similar incidents had occurred on earlier missions, this risk had not been fully addressed.

When Columbia returned to Earth, the damage allowed extremely hot gases to enter the wing, leading to structural failure and the shuttle’s destruction at speeds over Mach 18. Debris from the spacecraft fell across several U.S. states, and the disaster was witnessed live across the globe.

Before the accident, the crew had spent 16 days in space conducting over 80 experiments in microgravity. These included studies in fluid dynamics, life sciences, and other fields important to future space missions.

Kalpana Chawla became a symbol of scientific ambition and inspiration in India and across the world.

Investigating the disaster

After the accident, the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) was created, led by Admiral Harold W. Gehman Jr. The investigation confirmed that the foam strike caused a hole in the wing, but also pointed to larger issues within NASA.

The board criticised NASA’s culture for relying too much on past success, downplaying known dangers, and failing to encourage open communication. A 2008 survival study later showed that the astronauts may have survived the initial breakup but lost consciousness within seconds due to cabin pressure loss.

What changed after Columbia?

The Columbia disaster became a turning point in space safety. NASA made several key changes:

  • Redesigned the external fuel tank

  • Added new tools to inspect damage while in orbit

  • Resumed shuttle flights in 2005 with increased caution

Eventually, NASA decided to retire the Space Shuttle program in 2011. The agency turned its focus to commercial spaceflight, partnering with companies like SpaceX. Today, astronauts reach the ISS using private spacecraft or Russian Soyuz capsules.

The Columbia mission is remembered not just for its tragic end, but also for how it transformed global space missions. It taught space agencies to take safety and risk more seriously and sparked innovation in how humans explore space.

As India now marks its own breakthrough with Shubhanshu Shukla reaching the ISS, the lessons from Columbia continue to guide the world’s approach to space exploration.