Were the bodies of Columbia astronauts recovered?

The remains of the seven astronauts killed in the Columbia disaster were recovered. On February 1, 2003, the space shuttle broke apart during its reentry. Thousands of people—including government officials and volunteers—searched some 2.3 million acres in eastern Texas and Louisiana for human remains and debris from the shuttle. Ultimately, all seven astronauts were found, largely within a five-mile area. Given the catastrophic nature of the disaster, forensic specialists were needed to identify the remains, which were then returned to the families.