There was a story published about that potential rescue mission recently [1]. Briefly stated, the complexity involved in getting <i>Atlantis</i> up there in time to rescue the <i>Columbia</i> crew members makes the rescue plans depicted in the book&#x2F;movie <i>The Martian</i> (the Iris probe, and the Rich Purnell Maneuver) look completely safe and sane.  Any delay <i>at all</i> in getting <i>Atlantis</i> up would probably have made it too late for the <i>Columbia</i> crew, as their lithium hydroxide canisters would have run out and they would have choked to death on their own CO2.  The <i>Columbia</i> Accident Investigation Board came to similar conclusions in their own report [2].<p>It would have made for great drama. But either having <i>Atlantis</i> get up there too late to save the <i>Columbia</i> crew, or, even worse, losing <i>Atlantis</i> as well, would have been a PR disaster from which NASA might well not have recovered.  Hell, they <i>barely</i> recovered from <i>Columbia</i> as it is.<p>[1] <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;arstechnica.com&#x2F;science&#x2F;2016&#x2F;02&#x2F;the-audacious-rescue-plan-that-might-have-saved-space-shuttle-columbia&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;arstechnica.com&#x2F;science&#x2F;2016&#x2F;02&#x2F;the-audacious-rescue-...</a><p>[2] <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.nasa.gov&#x2F;columbia&#x2F;caib&#x2F;html&#x2F;start.html" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.nasa.gov&#x2F;columbia&#x2F;caib&#x2F;html&#x2F;start.html</a>