▁ ▁piece ▁of ▁black ened , ▁w oven ▁met all ic ▁material ▁confirmed ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁prop ell ant ▁tank ▁of ▁a ▁D elta ▁II ▁ro cket ▁which ▁launched ▁a ▁U . S . ▁Air ▁Force ▁satellite ▁the ▁year ▁before . ▁▁ 2 0 0 1 : ▁a ▁Star ▁ 4 8 ▁Pay load ▁Ass ist ▁Module ▁( P AM - D ) ▁ro cket ▁upper ▁stage ▁re - enter ed ▁the ▁atmosphere ▁after ▁a ▁" cat ast roph ic ▁orb ital ▁decay ", ▁crash ing ▁in ▁the ▁Sa udi ▁Arab ian ▁desert . ▁It ▁was ▁identified ▁as ▁the ▁upper - stage ▁ro cket ▁for ▁N AV ST AR ▁ 3 2 , ▁a ▁G PS ▁satellite ▁launched ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 3 . ▁▁ 2 0 0 3 : ▁Columbia ▁dis aster , ▁large ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁space craft ▁reached ▁the ▁ground ▁and ▁entire ▁equipment ▁systems ▁remained ▁int act . ▁More ▁than ▁ 8 3 , 0 0 0 ▁pieces , ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁remains ▁of ▁the ▁six ▁astr onaut s , ▁were ▁recovered ▁in ▁an ▁area ▁from ▁three ▁to ▁ 1 0 ▁miles ▁around ▁H emph ill ▁in ▁Sab ine ▁County , ▁Texas . ▁More ▁pieces ▁were ▁found ▁in ▁a ▁line ▁from ▁west ▁Texas ▁to ▁east ▁Louisiana , ▁with ▁the ▁western most ▁piece ▁found ▁in ▁Little field , ▁T X ▁and ▁the ▁eastern most ▁found ▁south west ▁of ▁M ora , ▁Louisiana . ▁Deb ris ▁was ▁found ▁in ▁Texas , ▁Ark ansas ▁and ▁Louisiana . ▁In ▁a ▁rare ▁case