 Mission STS-107, the 113th mission of the Space Shuttle program and the 28th flight of "Columbia", lifted off January 16, 2003 from the John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a 16-day dedicated science mission.A large piece of insulating foam separated from the Shuttle's external tank left bipod ramp area 82 seconds after launch and struck "Columbia" on the leading edge of the left wing.Two days later, after reviewing film of the launch and detecting the foam impact on the left wing, NASA engineers made a request to shuttle program managers for an in-orbit, high-resolution image of the "Columbia"s left wing to check for damage.