[leadpenny]

This morning I heard Don Imus, on his radio show from New York, (MFB, the Don Imus Program is the best radio show in America) repeat a shuttle speed of 1500 MPH when the foam or foam/ice hit the wing. By my calculations that would be 2200 f.p.s. There could have been considerable damage.

BTW, my comment about the Don Imus Program could ignite some "Flames." In case you are not familiar with "Flaming," it is a friendly tradition here on FreeRepublic.

[McGruff]

Looks like IMUS was a little low:

Investigators searching for clues to Columbia's loss are focusing on a 2 1/2-pound, 20-inch chunk of foam insulation that fell from the shuttle's external tank moments after liftoff and stuck the underside of the wing, possibly damaging the tiles. The shuttle was traveling at 2 1/2 times the speed of sound at the time, or just over 1,900 mph.

from this article here.