[Willie Green]

But the extent of damage at the conclusion of this mission was not "normal."

Yes, I read all that before in your previous posts.

It really doesn't matter how frequently you repost the same information over and over again. It STILL doesn't tell us how the damage relates to maximum acceptable limits, as deviant from "normal" as it may have been. Remember, despite the damage, flight STS-87 landed SAFELY, and inspection occurred AFTER the additional wear and tear incurred during reentry.

[Jael]

40 damaged tiles were the high norm.

Damage numbering up to forty tiles is considered normal
on each mission due to ice dropping off of the external tank (ET) and
plume re-circulation causing this debris to impact with the tiles. But
the extent of damage at the conclusion of this mission was not "normal".
The pattern of hits did not follow aerodynamic expectations and the
number, size and severity of hits were abnormal. Three hundred and eight
hits were counted during the inspection, one-hundred and thirty two
(132) were greater than one inch. Some of the hits measured fifteen (15)
inches long with depths measuring up to one and one-half (1 1/2) inches.
Considering that the depth of the tile is two (2) inches, a 75%
penetration depth had been reached.Over one hundred (100) tiles have
been removed from the Columbia because they were irreparable.