Shuttle breaks apart, killing all 7 astronauts aboard.(The Orlando Sentinel)

Byline: Michael Cabbage

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. _ Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during its return to Earth on Saturday, killing seven astronauts and dealing a stunning blow to America's space program.

Almost three hours after the accident, the White House confirmed the shuttle was lost. Witnesses in central Texas reported hearing a loud explosion and seeing trails of flaming debris falling along the shuttle's flight path as Columbia traveled 38 miles high at six times the speed of sound en route to a planned 9:16 a.m. EST landing at Kennedy Space Center.

"We ran out and started looking around," said Benjamin Laster of Kemp, Texas. "I saw a puff of vapor and smoke and saw big chunk of material fall."

All appeared normal as Columbia fired its thrusters at 8:15 a.m. EST to leave orbit and land at KSC. Communications between the ground and the shuttle routinely are lost during the fiery re-entry through Earth's atmosphere. Contact with Columbia briefly was re-established shortly before 9 a.m. EST, when Mission Control radioed the crew about a pressure warning for the shuttle's landing gear.

Moments later, all communication went dead.

"Search and rescue teams in the Dallas-Fort Worth area have been alerted," said James Hartsfield, a spokesman for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. "Any debris located in the Dallas-Fort Worth area should be avoided. It may be hazardous."