[bonesmccoy]

such a shield would not be "reusable".

Ablative shields were used on manned capsules prior to orbiter.

The issue is not the TPS fragility.

The issue is why did a piece of the ET insulation fall off the ET.

[mercy]

Our space program is a joke.

The shuttle is a dog.

The undeniable fact is the Astronauts have a one in fifty chance of being blown to bits.

Krauthamer is right.

[Chad Fairbanks]

The issue is not the TPS fragility.

Let me tell you about TPS reports....

[supercat]

such a shield would not be "reusable".

Naturally. Hopefully the price wouldn't be too expensive. BTW, how many missions are the tiles good for?

The issue is not the TPS fragility.

What sort of impact can the tiles withstand? It would seem to me that there is a significant risk of the shuttle being hit by a small piece of space junk during a mission. Having the tiles be somewhat protected until re-entry would seem like a good idea. Perhaps they're generally strong enough without, but if they're brittle I was thinking a slightly less brittle layer on top might help prevent damage.