On February 1, after 16 days in space and just 15 minutes before it was scheduled to land at Florida's Kennedy Space Center, the Columbia space shuttle came apart in the sky, killing all seven astronauts aboard. Scientists are still investigating what went wrong.

No one who witnessed or read about the disaster will forget the feeling of sadness and grief felt not only by families of the astronauts, but by people all across the United States and the world.

The first Indian-born female in space, Kalpana Chawla, was one of those who didn’t survive the mission. Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon, the first from his country to travel to space, was another. Like Chawla, he was a hero in his country whose loss was deeply felt.

The other astronauts included Rick D. Husband, William C. McCool, Michael P. Anderson, David M. Brown and Laurel Clark. Each worked hard to prepare for the mission, which included at least 80 scientific experiments. All seven astronauts dedicated years to helping science better understand the mysteries of space.

In his speech to the country announcing the disaster, President Bush praised the crew’s bravery. "These astronauts knew the dangers and they faced them willingly, knowing they had a high and noble purpose in life," he said.

Because they risked and ultimately lost their lives to advance science, the crew members of the Columbia are nominated as TFK's People of the Year.