Approximately 83,900 pieces of debris were recovered, weighing 84,900 pounds (38,500 kg), which was about 38 per cent of the orbiter's overall weight. Columbia was the first space-rated orbiter constructed, following the atmospheric test vehicle Enterprise. Young Modern and "Straight Lines" each won three awards at the ARIA Music Awards of 2007, taking Silverchair's total to 20. On January 23, flight director Steve Stich sent an e-mail to Husband and McCool to tell them about the foam strike and inform them there was no cause for concern about damage to the TPS, as foam strikes had occurred on previous flights.

The orbiter was protected from heat during reentry by the thermal protection system (TPS), a thermal soaking protective layer around the orbiter. At 8:58:03, the orbiter's aileron trim changed from the predicted values because of the increasing drag caused by the damage to the left wing. Their blow-up standard lamps and sculptures are created from transparent plastic, although it is their shape which makes them eye-catchers. Ham did not consult with the Debris Assessment Team, and cancelled the imagery request on the basis that it had not been made through official channels. After performing at Wave Aid, Silverchair reunited, and by late 2005 began preparations for their next studio album, Young Modern.Two solid rocket boosters (SRBs) were connected to the ET, and burned for the first two minutes of flight. Except for one mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope, subsequent Space Shuttle missions were flown only to the ISS to allow the crew to use it as a haven if damage to the orbiter prevented safe reentry; the remaining orbiters were retired after the ISS was finished. In May 2020, a picture of Johns playing electric guitar appeared online, leading to the Newcastle Herald speculating that a reunion was possible. In 2006, after five weeks' practice, the group demoed tracks in the Hunter Region before recording at Los Angeles' Seedy Underbelly Studios with Launay as producer. They played numerous shows around the Hunter Region in their early teens; their repertoire included cover versions of Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and Black Sabbath.

Following the mission, the Program Requirements Control Board declined to categorize the bipod ramp foam loss as an in-flight anomaly. finally having admitted to harbouring artistic ambition (a very un-Australian band thing to do), they've proved they have the ability".To collect their awards on the night, they sent Josh Shirley, the young son of the album's producer.

The partition Sacea Bablò is a multifunctional piece of furniture that can be used either as a room divider or as an air mattress. The tiles on the left wing were studied to determine the nature of the burning and melting that occurred. After the mission, the NASA Program Requirements Control Board designated the issue as an in-flight anomaly that was corrected with the planned improvement for the SRB ablator. The minimal crew would launch, dock with the ISS, where it would spend a day transferring astronauts and equipment before undocking and landing. Despite the ups and downs of success at a young age, Gillies says that he and the band "appreciate what we've achieved and what we've got" in their careers.

The orbiter contained the crew compartment, where the crew predominantly lived and worked throughout a mission.

Bush said in a televised address to the nation, "My fellow Americans, this day has brought terrible news, and great sadness to our country. The band have received six APRA Awards, with Johns winning three songwriting awards at the 2008 ceremony.Four and a half minutes after entry interface, a sensor began recording greater-than-normal amounts of strain on the left wing; the sensor's data was recorded to internal storage and not transmitted to the crew or ground controllers. Areas on the upper parts of the orbiter vehicle were covered with white low-temperature reusable surface insulation, which provided protection at temperatures below 650 °C (1,200 °F).