[IamConservative]

This reminds me of the adage "don't overlook the elephant sitting in your living room." I agree it is important to look and be sure. I think a 2.67 pound object hitting a fragile surface at Mach 2 is the elephant to not overlook. Delicate tiles. Critical wing area (landing gear door). Etc.

The elephant in this case is a NASA issue. Finding a space junk cause would be pure accident - creating plausible deniability.

[aruanan]

I think a 2.67 pound object hitting a fragile surface at Mach 2 is the elephant to not overlook.

Remember that the foam was traveling at the same speed as everything else until the moment it detached from the tank less than about 1/7 second before impact. It wasn't like a relatively motionless bird being flown into by a 747. Also, consider which would do more damage to you: a big chunk of foam that weighed 2.67 pounds dropped onto your head from a height of, say, 10 feet, or a 2.67 pound steel ball bearing.

[Fitzcarraldo]

The elephant in this case is a NASA issue. Finding a space junk cause would be pure accident - creating plausible deniability.

I thought NORAD tracked everything down to wingnut-sized pieces (or smaller)?