The Space Shuttle That Fell to Earth
On February 1st, 2003, the Space Shuttle 'Columbia' breaks apart in the skies above Texas, USA, during re-entry. "The Space Shuttle That Fell to Earth", a new three-part BBC documentary, "provides a probing account of the disaster which not only examines what happened", but why. As one former Nasa chief engineer put it, the disaster "didn't have to happen". The astronauts' families and Nasa staff share personal stories of the launch, professional concerns, unfolding disaster and the ensuing fallout.
- 2024-2024
- 1 season
- Documentary
On February 1st, 2003, the Space Shuttle 'Columbia' breaks apart in the skies above Texas, USA, during re-entry. "The Space Shuttle That Fell to Earth", a new three-part BBC documentary, "provides a probing account of the disaster which not only examines what happened", but why. As one former Nasa chief engineer put it, the disaster "didn't have to happen". The astronauts' families and Nasa staff share personal stories of the launch, professional concerns, unfolding disaster and the ensuing fallout.
Season 1 Episode Guide
3 Episodes 2024
Episode 1
Episode #1.1
58 mins
As Nasa prepares Space Shuttle Columbia for its 28th mission, excitement and trepidation build amongst the astronauts and their families as they count down to launch. This programme hears from the seven astronauts - a mixture of veterans and rookies - and their families as they train for an awe-inspiring journey of a lifetime.
Episode 2
Episode #1.2
59 mins
Nasa engineers analyze film footage of a piece of debris striking the space shuttle 'Columbia', 81 seconds after launch. What no-one yet knows is whether any serious damage has been done to the vehicle or the tiles which protect the vehicle against the intense heat of re-entry. But calls for photographs to be taken of the shuttle using satellites go unheeded. Meanwhile, in space, the crew continue their mission, unaware of any concerns inside Nasa.
Episode 3
Episode #1.3
58 mins
Sixteen minutes before they are due to land, mission control lose contact with the crew of 'Columbia'. At the Kennedy Space Center, shuttle landing strip in Florida, families waiting to welcome their loved ones back home are swiftly ushered away. However in the skies over Texas, local residents hear a loud explosion, and debris strikes the ground in multiple locations. The fears of some Nasa engineers are coming true: 'Columbia' is lost and there are no survivors. Following the disaster, Nasa comes under increasing pressure from the media to provide answers.