> reporter: "columbia" was on a science mission. seven astronauts, 16 days, 70 experiments. >> a more courageous group of people, you could not have hoped to know. >> reporter: this morning the crew finished packing up for re-entry, landing planned for 9:16 this morning eastern time on the runway at florida's kennedy space center. at 8:15 a.m. they fired their engines to begin their return from orbit. >> this is mission control houston. >> reporter: shuttle landings are normally quiet but at 8:53 a.m. mission control saw some odd temperature readings here, along the left wing. a few minutes later, there were more oddities, apparently having to do with the landing gear on the left side. at 8:59 a.m. the shuttle came over texas, still 39 miles high and moving at 12,000 miles an hour. mission control had its last contact with the crew. Get Live News Updates Every Minute from vimarsana.com Curated from 23000 News Agencies.">
> reporter: "columbia" was on a science mission. seven astronauts, 16 days, 70 experiments. >> a more courageous group of people, you could not have hoped to know. >> reporter: this morning the crew finished packing up for re-entry, landing planned for 9:16 this morning eastern time on the runway at florida's kennedy space center. at 8:15 a.m. they fired their engines to begin their return from orbit. >> this is mission control houston. >> reporter: shuttle landings are normally quiet but at 8:53 a.m. mission control saw some odd temperature readings here, along the left wing. a few minutes later, there were more oddities, apparently having to do with the landing gear on the left side. at 8:59 a.m. the shuttle came over texas, still 39 miles high and moving at 12,000 miles an hour. mission control had its last contact with the crew. Get Live News Updates Every Minute from vimarsana.com Curated from 23000 News Agencies." property="og:description">
> reporter: "columbia" was on a science mission. seven astronauts, 16 days, 70 experiments. >> a more courageous group of people, you could not have hoped to know. >> reporter: this morning the crew finished packing up for re-entry, landing planned for 9:16 this morning eastern time on the runway at florida's kennedy space center. at 8:15 a.m. they fired their engines to begin their return from orbit. >> this is mission control houston. >> reporter: shuttle landings are normally quiet but at 8:53 a.m. mission control saw some odd temperature readings here, along the left wing. a few minutes later, there were more oddities, apparently having to do with the landing gear on the left side. at 8:59 a.m. the shuttle came over texas, still 39 miles high and moving at 12,000 miles an hour. mission control had its last contact with the crew. Get Live News Updates Every Minute from vimarsana.com Curated from 23000 News Agencies.">
still don't understand. 16 minutes from home. we begin our field reporting with abc's ned potter. >> lift-off of space shuttle "columbia" -- >> reporter: "columbia" was on a science mission. seven astronauts, 16 days, 70 experiments. >> a more courageous group of people, you could not have hoped to know. >> reporter: this morning the crew finished packing up for re-entry, landing planned for 9:16 this morning eastern time on the runway at florida's kennedy space center. at 8:15 a.m. they fired their engines to begin their return from orbit. >> this is mission control houston. >> reporter: shuttle landings are normally quiet but at 8:53 a.m. mission control saw some odd temperature readings here, along the left wing. a few minutes later, there were more oddities, apparently having to do with the landing gear on the left side. at 8:59 a.m. the shuttle came over texas, still 39 miles high and moving at 12,000 miles an hour. mission control had its last contact with the crew.