Most shuttle flight return with missing tiles.Yes, I know. But I believe that the damage on launch was extraordinary damage due to the size of the object that struck the wing and the way it sprayed as if it was brittle.
Per NASA's own reports. It takes a big hole to cause real damge and loss of the orbiter.
Yep. Or missing tiles in crucial areas.
NASA considers loos of up to 40 tiles routine.
Yes I know.
But a big whack taking out a group of 10-12 might be a completely different result.
This is what could've happened on launch.
>>>But I believe that the damage on launch was extraordinary damage due to the size of the
I agree. The piece of ___Al Gore foam___ insulation that hit the shuttle was about 18 square feet, according to NASA reports.
Looks like it was bad from the start. No point in telling the crew and public if there was no way out. The chance for a safe re-entry was still there.
There was no sure way of knowing how much damage there was, once the shuttle was in orbit. Second guessing is all there is. 20-20 hindsight is much clearer.
snooker