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There were 2 EVA suits on the Columbia but they were only for spacewalks in the cargo bay. There were no jetpacks on board the shuttle and no safety equipment to go UNDER the shuttle to look at the area that was supposedly damaged.
They had enough supplies to last till Feb. 5 and they could have stretched them a few more days until Atlantis could be readied to go up to get them.
The problem was there was no sense of danger before re-entry. The NASA engineers had reviewed the video of the debris hitting the shuttle and were of the opinion that it may have knocked a few heat tiles loose but that it shouldn't pose a threat during re-entry. Only in hindsight do they now think it may have been a factor. The data received from the sensors on the shuttle will offer some clues as to what happened, but unless they find the area of the left wing where the problems started we may never know for sure. Remember, they were gliding in at 12,500MPH. If anything goes wrong at that speed then disaster is sure to follow. I see people asking why they did not have ejection seats. Can you imagine what would happen if you ejected at 40miles up at Mach 18.3? You probably wouldn't even survive long enough to clear the shuttle. They knew the risks and they still went. I don't think that is stupid or a waste of life, I think it is brave. After the Challenger explosion not one single astronaut at NASA dropped out because they were scared to go back up. How many of you would go on the next shuttle flight if offered the chance? I know I would.
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Old School
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