2003 in spaceflight

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2003 in spaceflight was marked by tragedy and a major milestone. On February 1, Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during re-entry over Texas and Louisiana, killing all seven astronauts aboard. It was the second Space Shuttle disaster, after Challenger in 1986.

Later that year, China achieved a historic milestone. On October 15, the Shenzhou 5 mission launched on a Long March 2F rocket, carrying astronaut Yang Liwei into space. This was China’s first crewed spaceflight, and after four previous uncrewed Shenzhou missions since 1999, China became the fourth country to independently send humans into space. Shenzhou 5 carried a single astronaut, making it the first solo crewed orbital mission. As of 2026, it remains the last time an entirely solo crewed orbital mission has taken place.