Bringing Columbia Home

Archival Summary & Scope

On February 1, 2003, the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated on reentry, claiming the lives of seven astronauts. In *Bringing Columbia Home*, NASA Launch Director Mike Leinbach delivers the definitive inside story of the unprecedented search and recovery operation that followed. This massive undertaking—the largest ground search in U.S. history—mobilized federal, state, and local agencies and hundreds of volunteers across rural east Texas. Their tireless efforts recovered crew remains and nearly 40% of the shuttle, providing crucial evidence to understand the disaster and enable NASA's return to flight. Leinbach, a key leader in the effort, shares deeply personal accounts of resilience, cooperation, and the extraordinary human spirit that emerged from tragedy. Voted "Best Space Book of 2018" by the Space Hipsters.