[rintense]

Ok, so if the landing gear is still retracted, then what could cause a change in tire pressure? I highly doubt a tire explosion could rip a hole in the shuttle. It seems more likely that it was a loss of pressure in the lower area of the shuttle that went undetected that cause the tire pressure to change.

But, could a tire explosion have cause severe damage to the craft?

[Dog]

If the tiles over the bay that holds the landing gear came off .....this could have caused the bay to overheat and the tires exploded.

[bonesmccoy]

If there was a loss of thermal protection over the gear doors, you could have a compromise of the tire pressure because of the relationship between temperature and pressure.

If the PLT or CDR noted a tire pressure gauge reading changing, it may be an indication of loss of integrity of the heat shield.

[steveegg]

Ok, so if the landing gear is still retracted, then what could cause a change in tire pressure?

Heat not anticipated by the designers, something breaking through the gear door and piercing the tire. The first would have caused a brief overinflation, followed by a tire explosion, while the latter would have caused an explosive decompression. The wheel well is, in all likelyhood, not pressurized.

[Ichneumon]

I highly doubt a tire explosion could rip a hole in the shuttle.

I don't think that was the point. The point was that a sudden overpressure in the tire would indicate a burn-through failure at a particular place in the Shuttle, pointing to a likely spot to investigate for the original failure point. It would be a clue, not a cause of the break-up.