NOVA

Space Shuttle Disaster

On February 1, 2003, the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas just 16 minutes before it was due to land. All seven astronauts aboard perished; the worldwide repercussions on the future of the space shuttle program were enormous. What caused the Columbia tragedy? An engineering flaw? A failure within NASA? A lack of financing? Could this catastrophe have been avoided? Through interviews with astronauts and their families, as well as with members of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, this program gives viewers a new look at the Columbia tragedy — and at NASA itself. From the creation of NASA through decades of technical and financial compromises, “Space Shuttle Disaster” gets to the heart of what went wrong — and how to make sure it never happens again. Learn more…