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If the tiles were the problem in some way...then some tiles will be found in CA and AZ, NM, and west TX...especially if there was a zipper effect. If you lose a tile...then two...then three...over a large area....then this is important. If it was this problem...then by the time you get to texas...the damage is done and structural problems are taking place. I am not sure of time line...but the off-scale low on the tire...etc...might have occured when south of NV...which would explain the puff (maybe the tire blew?). The reason all the tiles are in the area they are is this is the trajectory when the orbitor came apart. If problems atarted showing up at 0752 CST...then this means there was something going on when it was still west of CA .

This is what I believe Dittemore was saying in the press conference. They have a team working on the problem of trying to localize where any tiles that stripped off the orbiter in the CA/AZ/NM area may have ended up so they can mount a search for them. A lot of factors to be considered including altitude, speed, weight of the tile and wind speed and direction, but they may be able to come up with a corridor to search in.