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If there were serious concerns they should have left them in orbit until they were able to send up some kind of rescue vehicle, whether it be another shuttle or a russian caspule, whetever. The non-military people could have been evacuated. They could have squeezed them into the space station. There was no need to bring the shuttle back until they were convinced that it was safe.

I've read that the Columbia was the only shuttle incapable of docking with with the ISS, and they simply didn't have enough oxygen on board to last them as long as they'd have to wait for a hastily-thrown-together rescue mission. If the gash was for real, and was the cause, they were simply doomed from liftoff. The only possibility would have been to abort during liftoff, and I don't even know if they noticed the foam that quickly.

The only possiblity I've heard of is an emergency spacewalk, and everything I've heard about that is that it would be beyond dangerous, might save the shuttle but cost the life of whichever astronaut went outside, and just in general would have required NASA to be granted a level of divine luck a couple of orders of magnitude above what it took to save Apollo XIII.

The only possiblity I've heard of is an emergency spacewalk, and everything I've heard about that is that it would be beyond dangerous, might save the shuttle but cost the life of whichever astronaut went outside...

Actually I think the danger would have been that high, the risk that they themselves would damage it would be high, and all they would have been able to do is stare at the problem, if there was one. They didn't have they ability to fix it.

just in general would have required NASA to be granted a level of divine luck a couple of orders of magnitude above what it took to save Apollo XIII.

Then I think NASA should have informed the American public of their concerns and given us the opportunity to pray for that kind of divine intervention. (Unless, of course, those in charge at NASA believe that Apollo 13 was brought back safely merely by their own efforts without divine intervention.) If that were the case, then yes, the astronauts were doomed from the beginning.

just in general would have required NASA to be granted a level of divine luck a couple of orders of magnitude above what it took to save Apollo XIII.

I respectfully disagree.

There is a huge amount that could have been done.

Clearly apologists for the fatalist attitude are now taking to the airwaves lending support to the eventual "official conclusion" to be taken by NASA.

They were in space for 16 days, how many more days they could have remained in orbit, is a question for others. If we cannot send a rescue mission for citizens of ours stranded in space, within 20 days or so, we have no business sending them at all. They were warned about the first shuttle to blow up beforehand, and launched. They were aware of the possibility of tiles damaged shortly after orbit on this mission, and went ahead with re-entry without an attempt at a change of approach(so it seems).

I read in the paper this morning that the Columbia had the "old" fuel tank -- much heavier than what they are using now. The new super-light fuel tank was developed so that a shuttle would be able to reach the station. So that option would have been out in this case.