On July 26, 2005, the space shuttle Discovery launched on the first return-to-flight mission following the Columbia disaster that killed seven crew members a little over two years earlier.
A few seconds after launching from Kennedy Space Center, a huge bird flew straight into the top of the shuttle’s external fuel tank.
The bird didn’t cause any damage, but did lead NASA to develop precautions to prevent large birds near the shuttle during launch to avoid damage.
A few minutes later, two pieces of foam were seen flying away from the shuttle, one of which collided with the orbiter’s right wing. Luckily, those didn’t cause any critical damage either. STS-114 safely returned to Earth after spending two weeks in space.
Related: What’s it like to work in space using bulky EVA gloves
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