Remembering Columbia

TYLER — On February 1, 2003, 23 years ago, a doctor from East Texas and his wife stood outside, eagerly anticipating the return of the Columbia Space Shuttle to Earth following its 17-day mission focused on microgravity experiments. According to our news partner KETK, Dr. Scott Lieberman was photographing the shuttle. As they captured pictures and videos, Dr. Scott Lieberman’s wife inquired whether it was normal for the shuttle to break apart.

He described the ensuing moments as “a very loud envelope of noise,” an experience unlike any he had encountered before. At that moment, he scrutinized the photographs he had taken and realized the shuttle had disintegrated. The couple became witnesses to history, as seven astronauts tragically lost their lives just 15 minutes before their scheduled landing.

“It was a devastating moment,” Lieberman reflected. “These were my heroes growing up—astronauts in general. Their dedication and work ethic ended up being something useful to everybody.”

The images captured by Lieberman and his wife became a significant part of history. They understood the monumental nature of what they had witnessed and reached out to local and national news outlets to share their story.

It wasn’t until months later that NASA and investigators uncovered that, during the launch of Columbia, falling foam from the External Tank had impacted the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon panels on the underside of the left wing.

The seven astronauts killed were:
Commander: Rick D. Husband
Pilot: William C. McCool
Payload Commander: Michael P. Anderson
Mission Specialist 1: David Brown
Mission Specialist 2: Kalpana Chawla
Mission Specialist: Laurel Blair Salton Clark
Payload Specialist 1: Ilan Ramon

“The event had a profound effect on me, not only because of the tragedy itself but also due to the realization of the impact such images can have,” Lieberman reflected. “It was a heartbreaking moment, as these were my childhood heroes.”