NASA had third and fourth options as well. Have the Columbia crew patch the hole and pray while doing what little they could to reduce stress and heating on the

NASA had third and fourth options as well. Have the Columbia crew patch the hole and pray while doing what little they could to reduce stress and heating on the damaged wing during re-entry, or expedite Atlantis' next launch as a rescue mission (there would have been something like a four-day margin for launching it without skipping safety checks before Columbia ran out of consumables).