[P-Marlowe]

just in general would have required NASA to be granted a level of divine luck a couple of orders of magnitude above what it took to save Apollo XIII.

Then I think NASA should have informed the American public of their concerns and given us the opportunity to pray for that kind of divine intervention. (Unless, of course, those in charge at NASA believe that Apollo 13 was brought back safely merely by their own efforts without divine intervention.) If that were the case, then yes, the astronauts were doomed from the beginning.

[Dave S]

Then I think NASA should have informed the American public of their concerns and given us the opportunity to pray for that kind of divine intervention.

ROTFWL. Be serious.