On February 1, 2003 (January 1, 2003 in the lunar calendar), the US space shuttle "Columbia" exploded and disintegrated as it landed. Group photo of the seven astronauts before departure On February 1, 2003, a NASA spokesperson confirmed at a press conference that all seven astronauts on the space shuttle "Columbia" had been killed, and the space shuttle disintegration and crash was a "disaster". A spokesperson for the Texas Department of Public Safety said that some of the remains of the astronauts who were killed in the space shuttle "Columbia" have been found in the state. According to reports, a hospital worker found some charred human torsos, thigh bones and skulls in Hempshire, Texas, which are believed to be the remains of the deceased astronauts. In addition to these remains, some charred armbands and flight helmets with NASA logos were also found in the local area. The space shuttle "Columbia" lost contact with the ground control center ten minutes before it was about to return to the ground that day, and disintegrated and crashed in the air. At that time, the space shuttle was flying at an altitude of more than 60,000 meters in north-central Texas, reaching a speed of about 18 times the speed of sound. NASA and others later confirmed that none of the seven astronauts on the space shuttle survived. US President Bush delivered a national televised address on the same day, expressing condolences for the seven astronauts killed in the "Columbia" space shuttle crash. He also said that the path of space exploration for which the astronauts sacrificed their lives "will continue". United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, European Union Commission President Prodi, and leaders of some countries have called the United States and Israel to express their deep condolences over the unfortunate incident. To ensure the smooth search for the wreckage, NASA has established a no-fly zone more than 250 kilometers long and 60 kilometers wide in Texas and Louisiana. FBI agents and others have also joined the search for the wreckage. Experts have repeatedly cautioned that the wreckage of the space shuttle contains toxic materials, and it is best not to approach and touch. Fragments of the space shuttle Columbia streak across the Texas sky Saturday, Feb. 1, 2003 Minutes after debris from the Columbia debris re-entered the atmosphere, the space shuttle disintegrated and burned, leaving a trajectory in the sky. U.S. Air Force Honor Guard soldiers carry the coffin of the "Columbia" dead astronaut Michael Anderson. People attending the funeral at Arlington National Cemetery Seven astronauts Captain Rick Hazband, male, 45, former Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, Texan. 1994 Became an astronaut. William McCue, male, 41, former Navy commander, father of three. Became an astronaut in 1996. Michael Anderson, male, 43, born into a military family, became one of the few black astronauts in 1994. Karpana Chula, 41, immigrated to the US from India in the 1980s and became an astronaut in 1994. David Brown, 46, became an astronaut in 1996. Laurel Clark, 41, a former Navy medic, became an astronaut in 1996. Ilan Ramon, 48, a lieutenant colonel in the Israeli Air Force, became Israel's first astronaut in 1997. Space Memorabilia Traveling in space is an ancient dream of mankind, but it was not until the middle of the last century that humanity took its first steps into space. On October 4, 1957, the former Soviet Union successfully launched the first man-made earth satellite in human history into space with the "Companion" 1 carrier rocket. The satellite worked normally for three months, ushering in a new era of human spaceflight technology. On January 31, 1958, the United States successfully launched its first satellite "Explorer" 1. On April 12, 1961, the former Soviet Union launched the world's first manned spacecraft "Dongfang" 1 with the "Oriental" carrier rocket. Gagarin became the first person to travel in space. On March 18, 1965, the former Soviet cosmonaut Leonov stepped out of the spaceship and conducted the first spacewalk. On July 21, 1969, the "Apollo" 11 spacecraft launched by the United States completed the first moon landing. Astronaut Armstrong stepped out of the spacecraft's lunar module and stayed on the lunar surface for 21 hours and 18 minutes, becoming the first human to set foot on the moon. Since then, "Apollo" 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17 have successfully landed on the moon and conducted extensive inspections of the moon. On April 9, 1971, the former Soviet Union launched the world's first long-term stay in space "Salyut 1" space station. On April 21, 1981, the United States successfully launched the world's first space shuttle, "Columbia". So far, the United States has successively developed "Challenger", "Discovery", "Atlantis", "Endeavour" and other space shuttles. On January 28, 1986, the US space shuttle "Challenger" exploded 72 seconds after liftoff, leaving seven American astronauts, including a middle school female teacher, alive. On February 20, 1986, the former Soviet Union's "Peace" space station entered orbit for official operation. On June 29, 1995, the US "Atlantis" space shuttle docked with the Russian "Peace" space station for the first time. On March 23, 2001, the "Peace" space station crashed safely into the predetermined waters of the South Pacific after completing its 15-year aerial mission. On January 16, 2003, the space shuttle "Columbia" was launched. On February 1, it lost contact with ground control 16 minutes before returning to the ground. It then disintegrated and crashed over north-central Texas, killing all seven astronauts on board. This was the 28th flight of the "Columbia" and the 113th flight of the US space shuttle in 22 years. On February 1, the flag was flown at half-staff at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA, to pay tribute to the space shuttle "Columbia" and its seven crew members. The debris of the space shuttle "Columbia" fell to the ground.