January 16 - On this day in 2003, the space shuttle Columbia launched from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center for mission STS-107, carrying a crew of seven on a 16-day scientific mission: Commander Rick Husband, Pilot William McCool, Mission Specialists David Brown, Kalpana Chawla, Michael Anderson, and Laurel Clark, plus Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon (Israeli Air Force).

At 81.9 seconds after launch, a piece of foam from the external tank struck Columbia's left wing, damaging the reinforced carbon-carbon (RCC) panels that form part of the shuttle's heat shield.

Upon re-entry into Earth's atmosphere on February 1, 2003, the space shuttle disintegrated as the heat of re-entry spread through the damaged left wing, resulting in the loss of the shuttle and its crew.