thumb|Breakup of the Space Shuttle Columbia as seen from an Apache helicopter FLIR camera at Fort Hood, Texas At 9:00:18, the orbiter began a catastrophic breakup, and all on-board data recording soon ceased. Ground observers noted a sudden increase in debris being shed, and all on-board systems lost power. By 9:00:25, the orbiter's fore and aft sections had separated from one another. The sudden jerk caused the crew compartment to collide with the interior wall of the fuselage, resulting in the start of depressurization of the crew compartment by 9:00:35. The pieces of the orbiter continued to break apart into smaller pieces, and within a minute after breakup were too small to be detected by ground-based videos. A NASA report estimates that by 9:35, all crew remains and a majority of debris had hit the ground.
tHUmb|bReakUP oF The sPAce sHutTle coluMbIA As seEn FRom An apaChe HElIcoPter FLIr cAmera At Fort hOoD, texaS At 9:00:18, The orbiter BegaN a CatasTroPhIc breakUp, And all on-boaRd dAtA RECorDinG sOOn CeaSed. grouNd oBseRverS nOteD a sudden iNcREaSe iN debriS BeiNG SheD, And all on-BOaRD SysTEms lost POwer. By 9:00:25, the oRbiter's Fore AND Aft sECTIons HAD sEparated fRom one anotheR. THe sudDeN JErk caused tHe cRew comParTment To CoLlide WitH the iNtEriOR wall OF The fUselAgE, reSUltiNg in thE StArt of DepREssurIzatiON Of The Crew CoMPArtment bY 9:00:35. ThE pIecES oF ThE orbiTeR contInUed tO brEaK apart into smAller pIeceS, aNd wiThiN a minUte AftEr breakuP were Too smaLl To bE deteCted By grOund-baSeD VideOs. a nasa repoRt estiMateS that by 9:35, alL creW remains And a Majority Of dEBRIs had Hit ThE gROund.