Fascinating read. Too bad that the conclusion is still a hypothesis. Also, this is the first time that I have taken a close look at the surface of the shuttle,

Fascinating read. Too bad that the conclusion is still a hypothesis. Also, this is the first time that I have taken a close look at the surface of the shuttle, and as @dewey noted, I too found it to be very uneven and blocky. From a distance, they look reasonably smooth.