-> I am not convinced that *nothing* could have been done once in orbit. As lon 
-> as we do not know what the problem  was, we can not rule out the possibility 
-> a solution. 
  
This is true. But if the problem was a large area of damaged or missing 
heatshield tiles, then there would have been no way to make repairs in 
the available time with available materials. 
  
It's interesting that *none* of the major safety systems that are 
included in the shuttle have ever been used. The backup landing strips 
that are available in case of a failure during launch, the spacesuits 
that have been worn ever since Challenger in case of a loss of cabin 
pressure, etc., etc., have just added expense with no benefit. The two 
shuttles that have been lost were destroyed by unforeseen events, and 
there are probably thousands of other unforeseen possibilities that can 
cause shuttles to crash. 
  
Maybe NASA should just accept that occasional crashes are inevitable, 
and stop trying to guard against just a few of the many possible 
causes. Go back to shirtsleeve clothing, forget about the landing 
strips in Europe, and make the shuttle cheaper and more effective. 
Would any more astronauts be killed than at present? Probably not. 
  
                                dow 
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