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Florida Senator Bill Nelson flew on the last shuttle mission before the 1986 Challenger explosion and joins host Steve Inkseep to share his perspective as a former astronaut and Floridian.

NPR's John Burnett rejoins Steve Inskeep from the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, where NASA missions are directed and its people are considered to be friends and family. The front gate of the space center there has become a place to gather and mourn, as Ground Zero did after Sept. 11.

Host Steve Inskeep reviews what is known so far about the Columbia disaster.

NPR's Andy Bowers reports from Palmdale, Calif., where the space shuttle Columbia was upgraded in 2001. Palmdale is near Edwards Air Force Base, which was the original landing site during the space shuttle program's infancy. It is still the alternate landing site.

Today President Bush was called upon for the second time to comfort a nation in mourning. He telephoned the families of the lost astronauts and then addressed the nation from the cabinet room. (This is a repeat from earlier in the show.)

Talk of the Nation/Science Friday host Ira Flatow joins host Steve Inskeep to talk about how NASA has adapted since the 1986 Challenger disaster.

Troubleshooters are expected to scrutinize the shuttle Columbia's auxiliary power units, which help provide power to the orbiter's steering mechanisms during descent -- a task that requires highly flammable fuel. NPR's Howard Berkes joins host Steve Inskeep to talk about the role APUs play in reentry and why their redesign had been on NASA's to-do list. (This is a repeat from earlier in the show.)

NPR's Jackie Northam reports on the disaster's impact on America's contribution to the international space station. (This is a repeat from earlier in the show.)

Lt. Col. Dan Biggie, an Air Force chaplain, joins host Steve Inskeep from Cocoa Beach, Fla., where spectators had been waiting for the shuttle Columbia to land. He discusses the role of chaplains and how astronauts deal with the danger of their occupation. (This is a repeat from earlier in the show.)

NPR's Jennifer Ludden profiles the seven astronauts who perished aboard the space shuttle Columbia. (This is a repeat from earlier in the show.)

Robert Siegel and Lynn Neary read from some of this week's letters from listeners. Among this week's topics: our series on prayer, a report on water-efficient appliances and a religious sect's claim of human cloning.

Satirists Bruce Kluger and David Slavin wonder if there's anything that new Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist cannot do.