The shuttle disintegrated as it re-entered the Earth's atmosphere on February 1 killing all seven astronauts.

The Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) report said a piece of foam that broke off during take off pierced the shuttle's protective skin causing the overheating that led to the breakup.

But the board's report also highlighted a series of "organizational compromises" and managerial oversights at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) that failed to heed alarm bells.

"We are convinced that the management practices overseeing the Space Shuttle Program were as much a cause of the accident as the foam that struck the left wing," the report said.

SPACE.WIRE