STS-107 Memorial - Merritt Island, FL
Posted by: Groundspeak Regular Member The SuzyQs
N 28° 22.715 W 080° 40.306
17R E 532159 N 3139184
A small memorial for the crew of STS-107.
Waymark Code: WM3849
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 02/24/2008
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member ggmorton
Views: 39

"The Space Shuttle Columbia disaster occurred on February 1, 2003, when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, with the loss of all seven crew, shortly before it was scheduled to conclude its 28th mission, STS-107.

The loss of the Columbia was caused by damage sustained during launch when a piece of foam insulation the size of a small briefcase and known as the Left Bipod Foam Ramp broke off the main propellant tank under the aerodynamic forces of launch. The debris struck the leading edge of the left wing on the number 8 reinforced carbon-carbon (RCC) tile, damaging the Shuttle's thermal protection system (TPS). While Columbia was still in orbit, some engineers suspected damage, but NASA managers limited the investigation on the grounds that little could be done even if problems were found.

NASA's Shuttle safety regulations stated that external tank foam shedding and subsequent debris strikes upon the Shuttle itself were safety issues that needed to be resolved before a launch was cleared, but launches were often given the go-ahead as engineers unsuccessfully studied the foam shedding problem. The majority of Shuttle launches recorded such foam strikes and thermal tile scarring in violation of safety regulations. During re-entry of STS-107, the damaged area allowed the hot gases to penetrate and destroy the internal wing structure,[1] eventually causing the in-flight breakup of the vehicle. A massive ground search in parts of Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas recovered crew remains and many vehicle fragments.

The Columbia Accident Investigation Board's recommendations addressed both technical and organizational issues. The Space Shuttle program was set back over two years by the disaster, a delay comparable only to that resulting from the Challenger disaster. Concurrently, construction of the International Space Station was put on hold, and the station relied entirely on the Russian Federal Space Agency for resupply and crew rotation until STS-114."

Above text from: (visit link)
Disaster Date: 02/01/2003

Memorial Sponsors: Audubon Elementary School

Parking Coordinates: N 28° 22.716 W 080° 40.320

Disaster Type: Technological

Relevant Website: [Web Link]

Date of dedication: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
A photo of the memorial from a different angle or view than what is already posted is requested. If a camera is not available, please give a detailed description so that we can get an idea of your visit. Please list anything that has changed since the waymark was created.
Search for...
Geocaching.com Google Map
Google Maps
MapQuest
Bing Maps
Nearest Waymarks
Nearest Disaster Memorials
Nearest Geocaches
Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point
Recent Visits/Logs:
Date Logged Log  
MAMOUE visited STS-107 Memorial - Merritt Island, FL 02/04/2014 MAMOUE visited it
bluesneaky visited STS-107 Memorial - Merritt Island, FL 11/27/2011 bluesneaky visited it
TheDeadlySins visited STS-107 Memorial - Merritt Island, FL 11/07/2009 TheDeadlySins visited it
wapitiwoman visited STS-107 Memorial - Merritt Island, FL 06/11/2009 wapitiwoman visited it
The SuzyQs visited STS-107 Memorial - Merritt Island, FL 02/10/2008 The SuzyQs visited it
tdjvolks visited STS-107 Memorial - Merritt Island, FL 02/10/2008 tdjvolks visited it

View all visits/logs