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... the RCC's may have been in tip top shape, ...

Some of the links I saw on the NASA web indicated that 1-2mm pinholes are a distinct possibility, and usually has a void beneath them between the central CC core and the Silicon-Carbon overcoat. I wonder what effect a plasma stream in the rarified low-oxygen upper atmosphere would do in burning the carbon core, and how long at Mach 16-18 it would take to breach into the interior.

Burn damage on recovered debris just inboard of the door indicates a plume of hot gas spewed out of the well's forward inboard corner in the direction of the shuttle's centerline. Recently recovered debris indicates the possibility of a similar jet from the outboard forward corner of the door."

If the glove in front of the RCC was compromised, that would put the plasma streams behind the RCC. I also recall that RCC #1 was found, and it had a burn indicator on it's outboard edge -- did it show the direction of the burn? I don't recall it said either way.

I think there's a lot more at play -- some of which you indicated -- than just the foam block hit at liftoff. I hope they get all of the relevant pieces together to prevent another catastrophe.

The "chine" area, between the fuselage and the wing's glove area, is reported to have possibly received a debris strike based on the most recent camera view. This might explain why some of the RCC's had molten residues on the back of some of them. Another contributor to the mega post thread mentioned the right and left banked turns as a reasonable explanation.

The newest view of the debris strike, raises the possibility that the sheer force of the impact may have broken attachment points behind the RCC's.

Since there is already in existence, evidence of oxidation, corrosion, and or fatigue of the RCC's, and given this new view of a near head on debris strike of the RCC's, less than perfect RCC's may have been damaged more than they might have, if they were in an initial use or pristine condition.

Not knowing the extent to which inspections of the shuttle take place post launch, perhaps the oxidation, corrosion, and or fatigue factors would be found and corrected prior to assembly of the next launch package (as a matter of routine).

Maybe this is like the "o-rings" situation, in that a known condition / flaw existed, but the consequences of "what if" are not calculated out to their logical conclusions, or are deemed highly unlikely or remote.

Just speaking (thinking) aloud (in print) I am pondering if a reinforcement of some kind of metal needs to be part of the tile and RCC design. Something for obvious reasons, located on the interior or backside of the pieces. The purpose would be to keep the material intact upon a strike, that would otherwise result in a penetration or breach. I realize this is hind sight, but isn't this now arising as a fundamental flaw in the tiles and or RCC's ? The tiles and RCC's have an inherent flaw, and that is their vulnerable nature to impacts, the RCC's to a lesser degree.