[Movemout]

"Shuttles shed tiles like snakes shed scales. Loss and replacement is normal, and the craft can stand the loss of a few tiles. "

It is true that tiles routinely have to be replaced or repaired but there is one scenario in which tiles come off in a straight line, a zipper effect, and exposes the shuttle to catastrophic conditions on reentry. Captain Rick Hauk (USN retired and former shuttle pilot) has speculated that the angle of attack on reentry might have been amiss. This a computer controlled event.

[Arkinsaw]

Captain Rick Hauk (USN retired and former shuttle pilot) has speculated that the angle of attack on reentry might have been amiss. This a computer controlled event.

This why I would never want be a coder for NASA.

[Mamzelle]

I didn't say many tiles, I said a few--obviously, if enough come off, it's disastrous. A few always get knocked loose.