An article on Ars about the theoretical possibility of retrieving the astronauts on Columbia in space had they'd known about the damage it had suffered relatively immediately.

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Member of the People Encouraging Niceness In Society club.

We will never know whether NASA would have taken the risk and gambled on the loss of a second shuttle. The remaining shuttles were grounded for quite a while while new procedures were devised and implemented. But it is hard to imagine that Columbia astronauts would have been written off without some sort of a rescue attempt.

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Bob DeWoody

My motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow as it may not be required. This no longer applies in light of current events.

All following Shuttle missions had a rescue Shuttle ready to lift off in a short time. The only exception was the final Hubble servicing mission, in an orbit not being reachable. Hats off to all men on that mission.
Tullio

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The remaining shuttles were grounded for quite a while while new procedures were devised and implemented. But it is hard to imagine that Columbia astronauts would have been written off without some sort of a rescue attempt.

I seem to remember that one of the new procedures was each new mission going forward (until the shuttle was retired) was having a space walk to specifically look for tile damage. While we don know if the Columbia's damaged tile would have been 'seen in time', I personally expect that, with help from the Russian program, a "rescue mission", or at least extra supplies, could have been done within a week.

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Either way, an inspection.

I think I was remembering as a space walk under the idea of "since they're out there most of the time anyway...".

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