The bodies of Columbia astronauts did get recovered although the bodies were not fully intact.
Among the remains of the Columbia astronauts that were recovered are a charred torso, thigh bone and skull with front teeth, and a charred leg.
An empty astronaut's helmet also could contain some genetic traces.
Remains of some astronauts have been found," according to Eileen Hawley, a spokeswoman for Johnson Space Center.
The astronauts of the Columbia disaster likely had survived the initial breakup of the shuttle.
However they soon would've passed out as the cabin depressurized.
The astronauts of the Columbia disaster died as the shuttle broke up around them, and also a result of the immense speed of the re-entry which created temperatures of up to 2,691 degrees Fahrenheit.
All seven of the Columbia astronauts remains were found within a 5 mile radius of the crash.
Data from the vehicle had shown rising temperatures within sections of the left wing as early as 8:52 am, although the crew knew of their situation for perhaps only a minute or so before vehicle breakup.
The seven astronauts who perished on Space Shuttle Columbia's final mission (STS-107) were Rick Husband, William McCool, Michael Anderson, Kalpana Chawla, David Brown, Laurel Clark, and Ilan Ramon.
The Columbia space shuttle disaster occurred on February 1st 2003 and the shuttle broke apart over Texas and claimed the lives of all 7 of the astronauts on board.
The mission which was designated STS-107, had launched on January 16th 2003, for a 16 day science mission.