In 1997, NASA launched Columbia to study undercooled molten metals in microgravity; the STS-83 mission also carried experiments on sintering and fire behavior

The 1997 mission of space shuttle Columbia was cut short due to problems with fuel cells. However, the crew managed to perform crucial microgravity scientific experiments. These experiments focused on phenomena like molten metal undercooling and flame behavior in zero gravity. Remarkably, the same crew successfully reflyed the mission within months, allowing them to complete their original scientific objectives.