Yep, that inspection arrangement might have been able to prove the Thiokol engineer on site was correct to call for a scrub, but every inspectable point looking good would not have been able to prove he was incorrect. It would be worthwhile to order the inspection in case it delivered proof positive the launch was compromised and teardown was mandatory, but having it pass with flying colors still does not prove the launch is therefore safe in the face of countervailing evidence such as a temperature record. Ordering inspection and launching if it passes would have been a compromise with real risk factors.
Why would it not be feasible to withdraw the assembly into the VAB (having drained any LH, LOX, and Orbiter hypergolic propellant first of course), remove only the SRBs, set the fully assembled compromised ones aside, assemble a fresh new pair from untouched segments and attach them to the tank, without detaching Orbiter from Tank or messing with the integrated payload or otherwise setting the readiness of the non-SRB elements back any? If this could have been done would not an abbreviated countdown to the point at which the assembly was scrubbed before be acceptable, to verify stuff liable to come "unstuck" over time but otherwise quickly verify that stuff expected to stay put has done so?
To be sure this is a quibble--at the end of the day a full integration count might not take much more time and labor than trying to design an ad hoc shortcut one.
Anyhow the old stack of SRB elements can be tackled after the launch, with the elements being candidates for reuse.
Why would it not be feasible to withdraw the assembly into the VAB (having drained any LH, LOX, and Orbiter hypergolic propellant first of course), remove only the SRBs, set the fully assembled compromised ones aside, assemble a fresh new pair from untouched segments and attach them to the tank, without detaching Orbiter from Tank or messing with the integrated payload or otherwise setting the readiness of the non-SRB elements back any? If this could have been done would not an abbreviated countdown to the point at which the assembly was scrubbed before be acceptable, to verify stuff liable to come "unstuck" over time but otherwise quickly verify that stuff expected to stay put has done so?
To be sure this is a quibble--at the end of the day a full integration count might not take much more time and labor than trying to design an ad hoc shortcut one.
Anyhow the old stack of SRB elements can be tackled after the launch, with the elements being candidates for reuse.