[dfwgator]

Aren't there satellites that could have taken pictures of the shuttle as it was re-entering Earth in order to get a better idea of really happened?

[txradioguy]

Supposedly the have images from some of the spy satellites. I say it on Dridge, but have seen no follow up on it.


IMHO, the debate on whether the insulation could cause that kind of damage needs to factor in this tidbit. At the time the video of the insulation hitting the shuttle was taken, they were already at about Mach 2. The insulation is of a fairly rigid type too if what I've read is correct. If a tornado with winds of only 250 - 400 mph can drive a piece of broom straw through a tree trunk, wouldn't it be safe to say that a piece of rigid foam insulation at mach 2 could do some pretty significant damage?

[Kahuna]

I don't know about satellite photo's, however I was on top of Haleakala yesterday and confirmed with a friend that the Air Force took photos of Columbia on the fifth day of the mission and has downloaded the images to NASA.