The longest serving and first flying space shuttle, which vehicle was lost on re-entry Feb 1, 2003, resulting in the loss of 7 astronauts?
Space Shuttle Columbia on the band's last studio album, "The Story", ends with a recording of her voice introducing the song. Space Shuttle Columbia Space Shuttle "Columbia" (Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-102) was the first space-rated orbiter in NASA's Space Shuttle fleet. It launched for the first time on mission STS-1 on April 12, 1981, the first flight of the Space Shuttle program. Over 22 years of service, it completed 27 missions before disintegrating during re-entry near the end of its 28th mission, STS-107 on February 1, 2003, resulting in the deaths of all seven crew members. Construction began on "Columbia" in 1975 at
Space Shuttle Orbiter add-on or when attached to a space station. STS-80 was the longest at almost 17 days and 16 hours. Almost the entire Space Shuttle re-entry procedure, except for lowering the landing gear and deploying the air data probes, was normally performed under computer control. However, the re-entry could be flown entirely manually if an emergency arose. The approach and landing phase could be controlled by the autopilot, but was usually hand flown. The vehicle began re-entry by firing the Orbital maneuvering system engines, while flying upside down, backside first, in the opposite direction to orbital motion for approximately three