National

Columbia Shuttle Disaster: One Year Later

By Liane Hansen

Published January 31, 2004 at 9:00 PM PST

This story was published more than 20 years ago.

One year ago, the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated during re-entry above the American Southeast, killing all seven aboard. NPR's Liane Hansen speaks with William Langewiesche of The Atlantic Monthly about the changes NASA has -- and has not -- made since then.

National

Liane Hansen

Liane Hansen has been the host of NPR's award-winning Weekend Edition Sunday for 20 years. She brings to her position an extensive background in broadcast journalism, including work as a radio producer, reporter, and on-air host at both the local and national level. The program has covered such breaking news stories as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the capture of Saddam Hussein, the deaths of Princess Diana and John F. Kennedy, Jr., and the Columbia shuttle tragedy. In 2004, Liane was granted an exclusive interview with former weapons inspector David Kay prior to his report on the search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The show also won the James Beard award for best radio program on food for a report on SPAM.