The Columbia Disaster Was Worse Than You Thought

On February 1, 2003, tragedy struck the space shuttle Columbia, as earlier damage to the craft's left wing caused the shuttle to be destroyed upon reentry, killing all seven astronauts on board. It was a tragedy felt across the world, and yet, the saddest part of all was just how preventable the disaster was. While there are always variables that you can't plan for when going into space, the problems of the Columbia were downplayed to the astronauts on board, and no rescue mission was sent. Let's take a look at the details of why the Columbia disaster was worse than you thought.