I hate to say this, but NASA along with everybody else has this. It is called a budget :{ They are incredibly smart people, much more than you or I. Better technologies can be developed but that costs money.
If a sensor shows a wing getting hot on the space shuttle, the computer (yes, the computer controls the flight, not the humans, because we are not fast enough and we make mistakes) rolls that wing up to remove it from the heat. Only the bottom of the shuttle has those tiles (which are very thick 12" +). The sides and top have a different insulating material. If the machine roles to one side to cool off one wing, you are exposing a part that was not designed to withstand that amount of heat. Heat any alloy beyond its yield point and it become plastic and structurally weak.
If a tile was missing on that wing, when the wing got hot, the computer automatically rolled the wing up. When you are going 12,500 mph a 1 degree change in pitch could exponentially increase the g-forces on that aircraft causing a breakup from the rear forward. Also, if a tile is missing, you are changing aerodynamics of the wing, creating even more turbulence and stress. If a tile is missing, that is allowing heat in where there is no tile. The glue that holds those tiles is not designed to handle that amount of heat. Heat one section of glue, it will transfer to the surrounding tile glue. Heating of that glue weakens it causing other tiles to “pop” off. Once this starts, the tiles will begin to unzip like a jacket. Loose enough tiles, structural integrity will be lost to the generated heat.
Even if they knew there was a problem from the start, once they hit the go button and those solid fuel rockets start, there is no "off switch". There is also no launching of other the 6 other NASA shuttles or one the 3 gray (military) shuttles. The time factor just does not exist. It takes months to plan for a mission. There was just nothing they could do, even if they knew. If there was a visible structural problem with the craft, trust me, if our satellites can read a newspaper on the ground from space, they would be able to see a crack on the wing. If you knew seven people were doomed, but there was a slim chance of survival, would you tell them (the astronauts)? Yes. Would you inform the entire country of something that might happen, which might cause panic? I do not think so.
Upon reentry, once they hit the exosphere, there is not enough fuel to propel the shuttle back into orbit speed, let alone put it into the correct orbit path to dock with the space station. Even if they could dock with the space station, how would they survive for the length of time it would take to bring them back.
It is truly a shame that this happened, but there was nothing they could have done. Should the space program continue, YES! If I had the opportunity, even if the risk of failure was elevated, I would give my right leg to up now.
Just one more stupid fact, they (Hollywood) show the space shuttle breaking orbit and flying into space. That is a lie. The shuttle can only get a few miles up into orbit. It does not travel fast enough to break orbit, (somewhere around 32,000 mph) let alone make to another planet. It can’t even reach the Intel satellites that are at 23,500 miles (the geosynchronous satellites).
Just my $0. 02, sorry for being so long, just looking at the C/A
-Rich
P. S. go ahead and bash my theory
Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
... . Doug
