The crew was not even told about the foam strike until January 23—one week into the mission—and then only to prepare them for a question that might arise in an upcoming press conference. Mission Control sent an email to Rick Husband and Willie McCool informing them about the hit and immediately downplaying any worries: “Experts have reviewed the high speed photography and there is no concern for RCC or tile damage. We have seen this same phenomenon on several other flights and there is absolutely no concern for entry.”
