The problem with Bubbete's view that they could have conserved supplies and been rescued is that you run the high risk of loosing another shuttle and another crew.
If this problem with the tiles was an inherent design flaw then I would salute the commander willing to take another shuttle up within a 2 week prep period; but he would be making a very large risk indeed. Technically, there would be a 1 in 107 chance of endng up in the same position as Columbia, although with twice the crew dead and an abandoned shuttle doomed to burn up in the atmosphere.