Kennedy Space Center
On February 1, 2003, "Columbia" and her crew of seven were lost during re-entry over Texas during the STS-107 mission (the 113th shuttle flight); a vehicle breakup triggered by damage sustained during launch from Pad 39A on January 16, when a piece of foam insulation from the orbiter's external fuel tank struck the orbiter's left wing. During reentry, the damage created a hole allowing hot gases to melt the wing structure. Like the "Challenger" disaster, the resulting investigation and modifications interrupted shuttle flight operations at KSC for more than two years until the STS-114 launch on July 26, 2005.
MV Columbia
Early on 15 August 2007, only two months before a scheduled overhaul, position number two connecting rod in the Columbia's starboard engine experienced a bearing failure. To prevent catastrophic damage to the surrounding components the engine was secured. The 268 passengers were rerouted, and it was sent to Ketchikan, where it was originally planned to be repaired within the week. Soon it became apparent that it would require further work, and in a controversial decision the Marine Highway System chose to cancel all further summer voyages on the ship pending repairs. Nearly all the other ships in the fleet were rerouted to make up for the loss of what many consider to be the flagship of the fleet, and many passengers were urged to seek alternative travel means to help ease the pressure on the system. Transferred to Cascade General Shipyard at Swan Island in the Portland, Oregon area; both main engines were disassembled and overhauled. As of May 19, 2008 the MV Columbia left Cascade General and sailed to Bellingham, WA to begin active service.