"The Space Shuttle That Fell to Earth" is now available on BBC iPlayer This three-part Columbia documentary is uncomfortable viewing for NASA, but all episodes are available online for free from anywhere with a VPN

Over three hours (and three episodes), Space Shuttle Falling to Earth tells the tragic story of the seven astronauts who lost their lives in February 2003 when the Space Shuttle Columbia, the oldest spacecraft in the shuttle fleet, was damaged upon reentry It also explains how and why this tragedy occurred [David M Brown, Rick D Husband, Laurel B Clark, Kalpana Chawla, Michael P Anderson, William C "Willie" McCool, Ilan Ramon, and other crew members during press interviews, pre-mission training and 16 days in space The film vividly conveys the crew, including William C "Willie" McCool and Ilan Ramon, through press interviews, pre-mission training, and footage recorded during their 16-day space stay

Interviews with family members highlight the emotional trauma that continues to this day, but woven in between these moving memorials is an examination of why the shuttle broke apart

The documentary has received a string of five-star reviews, so it is possible to watch "The Space Shuttle That Fell to Earth" online from anywhere and for free

Episode 1 of "The Space Shuttle That Fell to Earth" will air on BBC Two on Monday, February 12 at 9 pm EDT, with Episode 2 a week later on Monday, February 19 Episode 3 will follow on Monday, February 26

However, you can now watch all three episodes for free on BBC iPlayer Of course, if you have a TV license, you can watch them completely free

If you are fortunate enough to live in the UK, you can watch all three episodes of "The Space Shuttle That Fell to Earth" for free on BBC iPlayer

But what if you are normally based in the UK but are visiting the US right now? Perhaps you are on vacation and don't want to spend money on a paid streaming service in a foreign country when you would normally be able to watch it for free at home

Don't worry - you can watch via VPN instead We'll show you how to do that below Right now, our favorite VPN service is ExpressVPN, but you can find other VPN services in our best VPN services list

Using a VPN is incredibly easy

1 Install the VPN of your choice As we have mentioned, ExpressVPN is our favorite

2 select the location you want to connect to with the VPN app For example, if you are in the US and want to watch BBC iPlayer, select the UK from the list

3 Sit back and enjoy the action Go to BBC iPlayer and watch "The Space Shuttle that Fell to Earth" live or catch up

We expect BBC America to broadcast "The Space Shuttle That Fell to Earth" in the future, but no official confirmation has been received

If you are a Brit abroad and visiting the US, you can watch a three-part documentary about the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster online right now using a VPN such as ExpressVPN

"The Space Shuttle That Fell to Earth" was produced by Louis Theroux's London-based Mindhouse pictures

Unfortunately, "The Space Shuttle That Fell to Earth" has not yet been released in Australia

If you are traveling outside the UK, don't worry Our favorite VPN service is ExpressVPN, but you can find others on our list of best VPN services

"The Space Shuttle That Fell to Earth" Season 1 Episode 1 In this show, we hear from seven astronauts, a mix of veterans and rookies, and their families as they train for the awe-inspiring journey of a lifetime

"The Space Shuttle That Fell to Earth" Season 1 Episode 2 NASA engineers analyze video footage of the debris that hit the shuttle Columbia 81 seconds after launch What no one knows yet is whether there was any serious damage to the fuselage or to the tiles that protected it from the high heat of re-entry But calls to use satellites to take pictures of the shuttle went unheeded Meanwhile, in space, the crew continued their mission unaware of NASA's internal concerns

"The Space Shuttle Fell to Earth," Season 1, Episode 3 Sixteen minutes after landing, Mission Control loses contact with the Columbia crew In the shuttle's landing zone, families are hobbled away as they wait to welcome their loved ones home Over Texas, locals hear loud explosions and debris hits the ground in multiple places: Columbia is lost, no survivors Columbia is lost, no survivors After this accident, Nasa is pressured by the media to provide answers