The first of the two space-shuttle disasters happened too long ago for most of us to remember. The more recent one occurred in 2003, just two years after 9/11. On February 1st of that year, the space shuttle Columbia broke apart as it re-entered Earth's atmosphere. All seven crew members perished in the tragic accident. During their time in space they performed ~80 science experiments ranging from physics to life sciences to material sciences.
It was determined that during the launch of the shuttle (~82 seconds after takeoff) that a piece of foam from a structure attached to the external tank of the shuttle and struck the left wing of the shuttle. This damage is what caused a loss of temperature readings from sensors on the left wing followed by tire pressure readings and ultimately the break apart of the shuttle. A hole on the left wing had allowed atmospheric gases to seep into the shuttle during re-entry creating the fiery break-up of the shuttle.
The debris search took a long time as there was an area of 2,000 square miles where approximately 84,000 pieces were recovered. In 2008, NASA released a report of the crews final minutes detailing how they most likely survived the initial breakup, but lost consciousness soon after the cabin depressurized. Their death occurred as the shuttle disintegrated.
This tragedy is an example of the dangers of space exploration. Their sacrifice should not be in vain as we continue to push the limits of human exploration. More advanced safety precautions are being taken from here on and hopefully in the coming years we will see man walk on Mars.
Source: http://www.space.com/19436-columbia-disaster.html
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