[freepersup]

I have been asking the question to no one in particular, why NASA keeps mentioning insulation ? Do they have proof it was insulation ?

Many threads and posts ago, I went with ice as the likely object, mainly- because after reviewing the video the spray coming off of the wing appeared to me to be just that, spray.

Not a cloud of dust per se. Not dust, in the sense that the foam disintegrated into dust. This didn't make sense. I had a hard time picturing the foam (flexible) turning into a pulverized state upon impact.

The supposition by the author, does make sense if in fact the spray (my description) is not in fact ice particles but is tile particles (dust). Or more likely, the spray is a combination of pulverized ice particles and the resultant dislodged tile material in the form of dust.

My lay theory: it's ice (unfortunaely 100% relative humidity at launch) striking the fragile tile, pulverizing the ice and tile into an ice spray-dust cloud combination, that we see cascading into the left booster rocket thrust flume.

[bonesmccoy]

dittos. but we have the benefit of 20/20 hindsight.

It's far harder to predict the event given a scant film and little other data.

[freepersup]

flume uh... = plume