Tiangong 1: Chinese satellite falls to Earth, mostly burns up
China's defunct space station re-entered the Earth's atmosphere after 8 p.m. ET Sunday, mostly burning up over the central South Pacific
www.cbsnews.comDirect answer: The space shuttle that burned up on reentry was Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-107) in 2003.
Context and notes:
- Columbia disintegrated over Texas and Louisiana during reentry on February 1, 2003, after a left-wing heat shield breach allowed superheated air to penetrate and destroy the vehicle.[3][5]
- It was the second shuttle disaster in NASA history, following Challenger in 1986, both resulting from critical failures during launch or reentry that led to loss of the vehicle and crew.[6][7]
- Public information and official investigations point to foam debris striking Columbia’s left wing during ascent, creating a hole that compromised heat shielding during reentry.[5][9]
If you want, I can pull a brief timeline of events and key findings from the Columbia disaster investigation for quick reference.