This: The space shuttle Discovery, now in orbit, shook loose some chunks of insulation from its fuel tank as it took off from Cape Canaveral on July 26. This debris, the consistency of pumice stone, caused scrapes to the fragile tiles that protect the shuttle vehicle from catastrophic heating as it re-enters the earth’s atmosphere. Ominously, this is the type of damage that doomed the shuttle Columbia. NASA spokesmen say Discovery’s damage is less severe. They haven’t said explicitly what everyone is thinking: that it would be very nice if Discovery didn’t catch fire and explode on its return, as...