[red-dawg]

This catastrophe might have been avoidable if there had been a discrete, survivable escape pod that could separate from the orbiter as it began to break up.

That only works if:

1)The crew are aware of the impending danger.

2)Power is still available.

I don't think either of those were the case.
"Roger,uh Bu..."

What I would like to see is a direct synchronization of the video of the orbiter breaking up plus the audio plus the telemetry data together in one presentation. We could learn a lot from that.

[GovernmentShrinker]

It MIGHT be possible to do without power if the "escape pod" is constructed as a segment which the astronauts are already in, and which is designed to survive the break-up of the rest of the craft. Deploying parachutes could probably be accomplished automatically, by built in contraptions on the exterior which would be triggered by the force of the passing atmostphere, and be triggered sequentially to deal with the fact that first couple of chutes would almost certainly be destroyed by force and heat very quickly after deploying (but perhaps not before accomplishing some deceleration).

[Jim Noble]

>>That only works if...<<

I think he means having the crew sit inside a reentry survivable "egg" on the way down.

If they make it to approach, fine. If not, the shuttle is pulverized, the egg falls free, and is "Soyuz-soft" landed by parachute.