NASA has made a preliminary decision, based on detailed examination of the gouge on Endeavour's underbelly and computer modeling of re-entry, that there is no need to attempt to fix the gouge before Endeavour comes home. More tests are currently being conducted, and NASA expects to announce a final decision later today.
At first thought, deciding to do nothing seems at least politically dangerous. After all, if nothing is done and the shuttle is lost because of the heat of re-entry, many people will question the future of the agency. Operating on the underside of an orbiter has its own risks, however. One miscalculation during an attempted repair could cause more damage than the repair was trying to address.
All things considered, NASA will be well out of the space shuttle business when the fleet is retired in 2010.
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