Stan Honda – AFP

After a successful 16-day mission, Columbia attempted to make the long journey back to Earth. Upon re-entry, around 8:00 a.m. CST on Saturday, February 1, mission control lost contact with Columbia. Residents on the ground heard a loud bang overhead. Just after 8:16 CST, Columbia's scheduled landing time, NASA declared an emergency. Here, an aircraft flying east over Texas spots debris falling to Earth from the space shuttle Columbia.

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