MR> I just read a report that in 1999 (approx?) the shuttle
 MR> Atlantis had a similar tile incident where a number of
 MR> them were damaged and repairs were made with an EVA.
 MR> Then Atlantis was brought out of orbit in such as way as
 MR> to protect the patched area as much as possible. So
 MR> there indeed is a precedent for such repairs and of
 MR> their practicality.

do you have a link to this report? everything i've read, official and
otherwise, has not backed this up... in fact, most all of them have shot
this down...

)\/(ark