Columbia crew could have been saved
http://www.msnbc.com/news/921637.asp?0dm=T21AT
and it's possible that the $3.5 billion shuttle itself might have been saved as well. The scenario leaves out visual inspection of the craft after re-entry by aircraft flying alongside it.
If no better option comes along during the simulations, these are the 2 scenarios which NASA will have to run as simulations before returning to flight status - along with repair of the launch monitoring cameras, about whose failure we have not heard anything yet, and the supply of a new rigourously constructed external tank.
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