[FPSPACE] BBC Horizon "Guide to the Space Shuttle"...could the Columbia have been saved?

[Zeger Nuyens]

While pondering possible "saving scenario's" might be intellectually 
gratifying,the naked fact is that at that time nobody knew Columbia was 
mortally wounded. I can agree some people should have known something 
was seriously wrong but they didn't. We only knew something was wrong 
when Columbia came streaking back over the California sky. By then,it 
was too late.
BTW what would have happened if Challenger had its O-ring burn through 
not at the ET side but at the outside of the SRB? My guess is that it 
would have reached orbit safely and when recovering the boosters 
somebody would have said "Boy,were we lucky this time" That's what 
accidents are all about. They shouldn't happen but they do.

Zeger Nuyens