[Bloody Sam Roberts]

The rescue shuttle will not necessarily be on the launch pad, but will be ready to fly to the space station within 45 to 90 days

Quick! Name the last STS mission that had a 90 day supply of life support necessities on board.

If there were a shuttle ready to fly a rescue mission in 45 days to rescue the crew of Columbia last year, all they'd have brought home would have been corpses. I recall NASA stating that the Columbia crew would have lasted 2 more weeks with what they had on board when they poo pooed the idea of a rescue vehicle last year. What changed?

[yonif]

What they should do is modify the shuttles so that they are able to dock with the space station in an emergency and also be able to have space walks off of it in an emergency.

[Calvin Locke]

What changed?

The orbit the shuttles will have to able to attain.

The article states that 45-90 day window is what the ISS can support.

Ergo, I assume the shuttle missions must be capable reaching it...

So, what happens if NASA still kisses the rumps of the Clintonista/Algore/Nader supporters? What if John Edwards' lawyer
buddies still channel the spirits enough, so that tried and true and future products (hard foam, asbestos
o-ring joint compound, etc) can no longer be made or used without the threats of law suits?

[New Horizon]

I believe they are assuming that the shuttle would be docked on the ISS, inspected, and then if problems were discovered the crew would live on the ISS until the rescue ship arrived.