[Timesink]

Jay Barbree emphasizes that there would still have been nothing that could have been done, even if the gash was that big, no matter how much of a ruckus would have been made.

[Timesink]

Gash possibly 7 1/2 FEET long, 7 1/2 INCHES wide.

[volchef]

This is so sad. These poor people were dead just seconds after liftoff.....they just didn't know it. My heart is just breaking. I grew up on the space coast and I am just aching over this.

[P-Marlowe]

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.

If anyone in authority on the ground knew this was going to be a problem and did not notify the crew members, then he or she should be prosecuted for murder.

Let us hope that this is not true.

[finnman69]

this morning they were discussing that some NASA engineers suggested trying to fly the shuttle in at an angle to better protect the damaged area , if that is even possible.

[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.

[SarahW]

which is utterly shocking to me.

I can't believe there was NO contigency plan whatsoever for dealing with damaged or missing tiles in critical areas.

One fragile tile snaps off and that all she wrote for crew and ship.

[Beenliedto]

Jay Barbree emphasizes that there would still have been nothing that could have been done, even if the gash was that big, no matter how much of a ruckus would have been made.

Maybe they could have looked at some alternative means of getting them down?

[Magnum44]

Jay Barbree emphasizes that there would still have been nothing that could have been done, even if the gash was that big, no matter how much of a ruckus would have been made

They aren't going to hammer NASA for letting them deorbit when there was no other option. They will hammer NASA for the decision tree that let them get in that situation, for not anticipating. See link below:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/835122/posts?page=19#19