The STS-107 mission, launched just 16 days earlier, was dedicated entirely to science. In its cargo bay, the crew of seven worked on 80 different microgravity experiments, ranging from biology to physics. Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon, the first from his country, was among them, highlighting the collaborative nature of the mission. The investigation that followed identified the cause: during liftoff, a suitcase-sized piece of insulating foam from the external fuel tank broke off and struck the sh