The Space Shuttle That Fell to Earth: was Columbia an avoidable disaster?
Three-part BBC documentary examines lesser-known Nasa catastrophe

Immediately after take-off on 16 January 2003, the US space shuttle Columbia sustained some ostensibly minor damage. The seven crew were reassured by Nasa that it had "no concerns" about the craft’s ability to re-enter Earth's atmosphere. But 15 days later, the shuttle broke apart above Texas and Louisiana, killing them all, said Dan Einav in the FT.
"The Space Shuttle That Fell to Earth", a new three-part BBC documentary, "provides a probing account of the disaster which not only examines what happened", but why. As one former Nasa chief engineer put it, the disaster "didn't have to happen". Other interviews are with relatives of the dead astronauts. It adds up to a "grimly engrossing and enraging" film that is "less a study of complex rocket science than a universal parable about institutional failings and human misjudgement".
There are some wrenching moments, said Carol Midgley in The Times. We hear from Iain Clark, who as a child had pleaded with his mother, Dr Laurel Clark, not to go into space. We also watch the crew playing a final game of cards before take-off and hear commander Rick Husband saying: "We're going to have a great mission."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The series' case, that the accident could have been averted, is meticulously pieced together like the "thousands of pieces of debris" that were recovered after the crash, said Benji Wilson in The Daily Telegraph. The one question the series leaves unanswered is whether enough lessons have been learnt from the mistakes it so painstakingly lays bare.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
How Zohran Mamdani's NYC mayoral run will change the Democratic Party
Talking Points The candidate poses a challenge to the party's 'dinosaur wing'
-
Book reviews: '1861: The Lost Peace' and 'Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers'
Feature How America tried to avoid the Civil War and the link between lead pollution and serial killers
-
Brian Wilson: the troubled genius who powered the Beach Boys
Feature The musical giant passed away at 82
-
Book reviews: '1861: The Lost Peace' and 'Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers'
Feature How America tried to avoid the Civil War and the link between lead pollution and serial killers
-
Brian Wilson: the troubled genius who powered the Beach Boys
Feature The musical giant passed away at 82
-
8 recipes that require minimal effort for the best kind of summer eating
The Week Recommends It's the season of grilling and smart desserts
-
7 places across the country to experience the best of summer drinking
The Week Recommends Stops include a Basque-inspired spot and a bar where the menu overhauls twice a year
-
Grilled radicchio with caper and anchovy sauce recipe
The Week Recommends Smoky twist on classic Italian flavours is perfect to grill, drizzle and devour
-
6 smart, surprising food books to drag you through the summer months
The Week Recommends BBQ and why we consume the way we do are just two of the tackled topics
-
Echo Valley: a 'twisty modern noir' starring Julianne Moore and Sydney Sweeney
The Week Recommends This tense thriller about a mother and daughter is 'American cinema for grown ups'
-
Larry Lamb shares his favourite books
The Week Recommends The actor picks works by Neil Sheehan, Annie Proulx and Émile Zola