[krb]

If damage is found, they can fly to the space station and wait for a ride.

You can't just fly to the space station. The shuttle can only carry enough fuel to get to the space station if that's its only goal. The Space Station orbit is conducive to the Russians getting their pretty easily, but our guys have to burn something like 20% extra fuel just to move into the proper orbit to go there.

[1Old Pro]

I don't know much about this. But if they aren't going to burn fuel on re-entry wouldn't that be enough to get them to the station? And the only reason I suggested the station is because they usually have a escape Soyuz attached and/or they could probably hang out longer at the station than in the shuttle as they wait for another launch.