An international microgravity research flight, Columbia carried seven people and 70 experiments to space. It marked the first time an Israeli flew to space. More than 80% of all science experiment data was transmitted to the ground during the 16-day mission. Columbia reentered the atmosphere on February 1st, 2003, and broke apart 63 km over north-central Texas just 16 minutes before landing. All seven crewmember lost their lives. This was the 28th and final flight of Columbia. The accident was traced to a foam liberation event from the External Tank during launch that struck Columbia's left wing, blowing a 0.4 x 0.4-meter hole in critical thermal protection panels on the wing's leading edge -- the part of the Space Shuttle that receives the most intense heating during reentry. After launch, NASA managers believed the debris strike would be a maintenance issue on the ground. The hole in Columbia's wing allowed superheated plasma to melt her airframe during reentry. Just over 30% of Columbia survived and was recovered by search teams, including the remains of her crew. Miraculously no one was injured or killed on the ground, despite Columbia's massive engines landing in east Texas. While searching for debris, recovery teams found a worm enclosure flown on Columbia in tact; the worms were still alive and are to this day the only living things to survive atmospheric reentry without full protection from a heat shield. During a 22-year career, Columbia spent 300 days in space, traveled 125,204,911 km, and carried 160 crewmembers.