Editing Space Shuttle Columbia disaster (section)

=== Space Shuttle mission ===
{{Main|STS-107}}
[[File:Crew of STS-107, official photo.jpg|thumb|alt=Seven crew members standing in orange pressure suits and holding a larger version of their mission patch.|The crew of [[STS-107]]. From left to right: [[David M. Brown|Brown]], [[Rick Husband|Husband]], [[Laurel Clark|Clark]], [[Kalpana Chawla|Chawla]], [[Michael P. Anderson|Anderson]], [[William C. McCool|McCool]], [[Ilan Ramon|Ramon]].]]
For STS-107, ''Columbia'' carried the [[SpaceHab]] Research Double Module, the Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment, and an [[Extended Duration Orbiter]] pallet.{{r|caib_report}}{{Reference page|30}} The mission passed its pre-launch certifications and reviews, and began with the launch. The mission was originally scheduled to launch on January 11, 2001, but it was delayed thirteen times, until its launch on January 16, 2003.{{r|caib_report}}{{Reference page|page=28}}

The seven-member crew of STS-107 were selected in July 2000.<ref name="caib_report" />{{Reference page|28}} The mission was commanded by [[Rick Husband]], who was a [[Colonel (United States)|colonel]] in the [[United States Air Force|U.S. Air Force]] and a [[test pilot]]. He had previously flown on [[STS-96]].<ref name="husband_bio">{{cite web
  | title = Rick Douglas Husband
  | publisher = NASA
  | date = February 2003
  | url = https://history.nasa.gov/columbia/Troxell/Columbia%20Web%20Site/Biographies/Crew%20Profile%20Information/Crew%20Biographies/ASTRON~2.HTM
  | access-date = January 25, 2022
| archive-date = August 11, 2020
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200811105612/https://history.nasa.gov/columbia/Troxell/Columbia%20Web%20Site/Biographies/Crew%20Profile%20Information/Crew%20Biographies/ASTRON~2.HTM
  | url-status = live
  }}</ref> The mission's pilot was [[William McCool]], a [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] [[Commander (United States)|commander]] who was on his first spaceflight.<ref name="mccool_bio">{{cite web
  | title = William C. McCool
  | publisher = NASA
  | date = February 2003
  | url = https://history.nasa.gov/columbia/Troxell/Columbia%20Web%20Site/Biographies/Crew%20Profile%20Information/Crew%20Biographies/McCool%20Astronaut%20Bio%20Data.htm
  | access-date = January 25, 2022
| archive-date = July 14, 2019
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190714115417/https://history.nasa.gov/columbia/Troxell/Columbia%20Web%20Site/Biographies/Crew%20Profile%20Information/Crew%20Biographies/McCool%20Astronaut%20Bio%20Data.htm
  | url-status = live
  }}</ref> The payload commander was [[Michael P. Anderson|Michael Anderson]], a U.S. Air Force [[Lieutenant colonel (United States)|lieutenant colonel]] who had previously flown on [[STS-89]].<ref name="anderson_bio">{{cite web
  | title = Michael P. Anderson
  | publisher = NASA
  | date = February 2003
  | url = https://history.nasa.gov/columbia/Troxell/Columbia%20Web%20Site/Biographies/Crew%20Profile%20Information/Crew%20Biographies/anderson_biodata.htm
  | access-date = January 25, 2022
| archive-date = July 14, 2019
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190714115417/https://history.nasa.gov/columbia/Troxell/Columbia%20Web%20Site/Biographies/Crew%20Profile%20Information/Crew%20Biographies/anderson_biodata.htm
  | url-status = live
  }}</ref> [[Kalpana Chawla]] served as the flight engineer; she had previously flown on [[STS-87]].<ref name="chawla_bio">{{cite web
  | title = Kalpana Chawla
  | publisher = NASA
  | date = May 2004
  | url = https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/chawla_kalpana.pdf
  | access-date = January 25, 2022
| archive-date = December 29, 2021
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211229163209/https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/chawla_kalpana.pdf
  | url-status = live
  }}</ref> [[David M. Brown|David Brown]] and [[Laurel Clark]], both [[captain (United States O-6)|Navy captains]], flew as the [[mission specialist]]s on their first spaceflights.<ref name="brown_bio">{{cite web
  | title = David M. Brown
  | publisher = NASA
  | date = February 2003
  | url = https://history.nasa.gov/columbia/Troxell/Columbia%20Web%20Site/Biographies/Crew%20Profile%20Information/Crew%20Biographies/Brown%20Astronaut%20Bio%20Data.htm
  | access-date = January 25, 2022
| archive-date = July 14, 2019
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190714115418/https://history.nasa.gov/columbia/Troxell/Columbia%20Web%20Site/Biographies/Crew%20Profile%20Information/Crew%20Biographies/Brown%20Astronaut%20Bio%20Data.htm
  | url-status = live
  }}</ref><ref name="clark_bio">{{cite web
  | title = Laurel Blair Salton Clark
  | publisher = NASA
  | date = February 2003
  | url = https://history.nasa.gov/columbia/Troxell/Columbia%20Web%20Site/Biographies/Crew%20Profile%20Information/Crew%20Biographies/Clark%20Astronaut%20Bio%20Data.htm
  | access-date = January 25, 2022
| archive-date = July 14, 2019
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190714115418/https://history.nasa.gov/columbia/Troxell/Columbia%20Web%20Site/Biographies/Crew%20Profile%20Information/Crew%20Biographies/Clark%20Astronaut%20Bio%20Data.htm
  | url-status = live
  }}</ref> [[Ilan Ramon]], a colonel in the [[Israeli Air Force]] and the first Israeli [[astronaut]], flew as a [[payload specialist]] on his first spaceflight.<ref name="ramon_bio">{{cite web
  | title = Ilan Ramon
  | publisher = NASA
  | date = February 2003
  | url = https://history.nasa.gov/columbia/Troxell/Columbia%20Web%20Site/Biographies/Crew%20Profile%20Information/Crew%20Biographies/PAYLOA~1.HTM
  | access-date = January 25, 2022
| archive-date = July 14, 2019
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190714115418/https://history.nasa.gov/columbia/Troxell/Columbia%20Web%20Site/Biographies/Crew%20Profile%20Information/Crew%20Biographies/PAYLOA%7E1.HTM
  | url-status = live
  }}</ref>{{r|caib_report}}{{Reference page|page=29}}