"Briefcase sized hole in Shuttle wing"
Don't know if you have seen this yet in the US, but here in Oz we got film tonight of the high velocity impact test of foam blocks onto the Shuttle wing leading edge.
Punched a huge hole straight through the carbon Fibre elements.
Apparently the geometry of impact and velocity were matched to the foam impact of the Columbia launch.
Didn't even need to freeze it and load it, it went first time on dry foam..
Whither the Shuttle... ???