[jeremiah]

The cause has been tentatively pinpointed, damage to the left wing on lift-off. Obviously mistakes were made that led to the problems occuring. A different tact would have not necessarily brought about a different result, but questions must be raised, and changes must occur. The first shuttle disaster was the result of ignoring the specific warnings of the design engineers re the seals performance during cold temps. The second was likely the result, of ignoring the warnings of maintenance and visible damages, caused by previous tile displacements, and a disregard for the effects of those upon each mission. Remember the pictures of tiles missing, they have been shown many times. It also seems that the move to an environmental friendly insulation, on the platform, that is more likely to shed, and cause damage to the orbiter. I don't have answers, I am not supposed to, but I have many questions. Those of mine and many others, deserve to be vetted, and answered with changes, and much introspection, not sweeping things under the rug, or increasing the budget of NASA.

[HairOfTheDog]

I don't have answers, I am not supposed to, but I have many questions.

Which is very different from your first post, calling for the the mass firing and possible litigation against the very people who can answer those questions.

It is a little too early to start calling for heads to roll. This is an uncertain business, as anything involving human beings is. Every mistake is not negligence, and every tragedy is not cause to make someone's head roll over it. Sometimes, but these people have put their lives into this project, and they deserve at the very least, benefit of the doubt, not shrill condemnation before the facts, and the better alternatives that could have been known to them, are really known.

I am loyal to people until they are proved undeserving.