[Rome2000]

Jay Barbree emphasizes that there would still have been nothing that could have been done

Thats BS.

They could have went to the ISS and waited for another shuttle to take them back.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

They could have went to the ISS and waited for another shuttle to take them back

No, they could not.

[Timesink]

Thats BS. They could have went to the ISS and waited for another shuttle to take them back.

No they couldn't! The Columbia was not equipped to dock with the ISS, and almost certainly didn't have enough fuel to get there even if they had docking ability.

[Desdemona]

They could have went to the ISS and waited for another shuttle to take them back

Pay attention:

1. Columbia doesn't dock with the ISS. It isn't fitted with the docking collar. As far as I know, only Atlantis, is capable. On toop of that, there is a crew limit. They only have so much space for seats.

2. They were in a lower orbit and didn't have the fuel to get up there.

3. There are no shuttles close to ready in the VAB. It takes about a month to prep one - minimum, 24 hours to get it from the VAB to either launch pad and then, it has to sit there for at least a week - I don't remember precisely why. That's SOP in the NASA world. We're not talking about a 747.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Thats BS. They could have went to the ISS and waited for another shuttle to take them back.

Do you read? How many times do people on this thread have to tell everyone the following:

The Columbia was too heavy to achieve orbit with the ISS, and even if it could it was not fitted with the docking collar necessary to dock with the ISS

[myrabach]

Just stopping and looking at the fact that NASA could be out of business from another disaster... particularly a disaster that COULD have been averted... is reason enough for me to believe there was nothing that could have been done. They assessed the possible problems and determined it was safe to return.

We want NASA to be the bad guy, we want a reason for this, we want to blame someone. But sometimes the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.

NASA had too much to lose to mess up. They are serious professionals and care even more about the crews that we do. Most of us could not name even one of the crew members, most of us did not even see the launch. To pretend that we care more than NASA is a farce. Most of us know so little about the actual space program that to even suggest that there was something more that could have been done is just plane uninformed and wishful thinking IMHO.

[KeepUSfree]

Do ANY of you people actually read a thread before putting in your uninformed, stupid opinions. For about the 10th time in THIS thread alone - let me summarize:

THEY COULD NOT GO TO THE ISS - The Columbia is too heavy and is not equipped to dock with the ISS and did NOT have the fuel to get there.

THEY COULD NOT FIX IT WITH A FIX-A-FLAT -Tile repair kit: - The space walk tethers are not long enough to reach the area. They do not carry extra tiles (each of which is unique...so they'd have to carry duplicates of all of them!). in addition the tiles are fragile and they would be worried about doing additional damage

THEY COULD NOT "JUST WAIT THERE FOR ANOTHER SHUTTLE": Resources are limited. They are in SPACE. For you limited types....that means there is no air....They take it with them and manufacture it. You can't just roll another shuttle out there and launch it. It takes "about 20 days"....and that is if they REALLY rush it - in fact - it would rush it so much as to endanger another crew. And, as ANYONE who has ever worked in rescue situations knows, the first rule is that you DO NOT MAKE THE SITUATION WORSE by endangering even more lives. And, even IF they could get another shuttle there...how would they transfer from one to the other.??? You can't just pull over, get out and get in the other shuttle like it is a mini-van picking up your kids soccer team. Shuttles are not designed to "mate"..

Interestingly, I knew NONE of this. Howevere, before posting my own ignorant opinion, I ACTUALLY READ the informed facts of other posters before filling the thread with my own useless drivel....unlike so many others here.

The bottom line is...SPACE FLIGHT IS INHERENTLY DANGEROUS. THESE ARE NOT THE FIRST - NOR WILL THEY BE THE LAST ASTRONAUTS WE LOSE TRYING TO PUSH THE LIMITS OF HUMANITY

Also, do you whiners have ANY IDEA how many test pilots are killed each year while "pushing the envelope". I doubt it - it's not covered 24/7 like when a shuttle goes down. So, since you know nothing about it - you don't bitch. Ignorance IS bliss!! Does that mean the Air Force or navy is mismanaged?? Should all new flight testing be stopped??

Nobody is asking you to go up there or to take responsibility for anyone else being there. Just shut your mouths when you have no idea about what you speak.