[MississippiMan]

I think the failures of the left in board and left out board temperature sensors were significant, don't you?

Yeah, I sure have my doubts that by coincidence those sensors failed and then catastrophic airframe failure followed. Again, sheer conjecture on my part, but I have a hunch that when all is said and done we're gonna find out the tiles were the core problem, perhaps related to the incident during launch. I was also shocked to see in that Columbia photo that got posted in several threads, just how dilapidated this shuttle looked. Yes, I do know airworthiness and appearance are not necessarily related, but the thermal tiles in that photo looked like a patchwork quilt that had been mended many, many times.

MM

[unspun]

Yeah, the thing kinda looked like the old mobile home that the park owner wants off his court.

[r9etb]

I was also shocked to see in that Columbia photo that got posted in several threads, just how dilapidated this shuttle looked. Yes, I do know airworthiness and appearance are not necessarily related, but the thermal tiles in that photo looked like a patchwork quilt that had been mended many, many times.

The tiles of any Shuttle that's flown look like that. Last I knew, they had no clear explanation for why, but it doesn't actually affect their performance.