The space shuttle that exploded in 1981 was not the Columbia, but rather the Challenger. The Columbia was the first space shuttle to fly in space, with its first flight taking place in April 1981. It successfully completed 27 missions before the Columbia disaster occurred on February 1, 2003, when it broke up as it returned to Earth, killing all seven astronauts on board. The Challenger disaster occurred on January 28, 1986, when it broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, killing all seven crew members.