Returning to Earth is one of the most dangerous phases of spaceflight, and the Space Shuttle was built to endure it like no other vehicle before. As it re-entered the atmosphere at Mach 25 ...

The shuttle’s skin contracts slightly while in orbit, then expands during reentry. In addition ... the heat they’re exposed to back into the atmosphere, while the tiles’ interior absorbs ...

When Space Shuttle ... the safety of the orbiting shuttle and its crew. As is all too well known, two weeks later Columbia disintegrated upon reentry into Earth's atmosphere.