Remembering STS-107: Root Causes and Modern Safety Lessons

The loss of Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-107) is often cited in aerospace safety discussions. For many of the mid- and late-career professionals, it helped shape how safety is discussed and practiced. For many up-and-coming aerospace professionals, however, it can be seen as a distant event only - one they may have never studied. As the industry pushes toward higher cadences with tighter schedules and more commercial pressure, the lessons learned from Columbia are not just historical artifacts - they have real implications for the safety of present and future missions. This talk is meant to revisit the failure chain and root causes of the Columbia accident as identified by the CAIB and connects them to today's aerospace climate. Designed for a diverse, mixed-experience audience, this discussion will focus on providing participants with practical, implemental takeaways such as identifying normalization of deviance, strengthening risk communications, and separating evidence from assumptions. Remembering Columbia is not just about looking to the past and honoring the legacies of Columbia and her crew - it is about preserving the lessons learned and corrective actions to ensure we keep future crews, vehicles, and missions safe.