Replies

That was the only option

I agree. Even if they suspected damage by the insulation, they have about three and a half minutes to make the abort call. Re-entry was a certainty and the die was cast.

If true, that's just wrong, unaceptably wrong.

There should always be a plan "b". But even failing that,

All the comments about they being unable to survive the time it would take to get another shuttle up there are based on the problem being discovered after most of the mission was over, just prior to re-entry.

If the damage had been visualized earlier, extra weeks of time to come up with some plan for rescue would have existed. rationing of power, oxgen, water and food kept them alive until a rescue mission could get extra supplies up there or rescued some or all crew. They might have perished anyway, but they should have perishes trying, and with the benefit of prayers of rest of us as well as the best efforts of NASA.

It astounds me there was no meands to inspect the shuttle craft. This isn't 1983, it's 2003. They should have a tethered manueverable webcam or botcam to view any portion of the ship. It's unacceptable to me that they were unable to inspect the ship in space.