Why do you believe that?
I’ve worked in aerospace for over 40 years, including the Shuttle program and now Orion.
With knowledge of the surface damage, there are no two mission managers who would contend there was any possibility of the orbiter surviving re-entry.
G Larry. I concur. Thirty six + years on the ET. From MAF (12 years) to KSC (24 years). There was NO possibility of rescue by anybody. Russkies or Chinese and NO way to prep, stack, process another orbiter within the time frame. If there had been a stack on the other pad, maybe.
How’s Orion doing? You probably know some of the same people I know.