The original Space Shuttle was supposed to be much smaller, like this new space plane. Designed for high orbit out where the high up satellites are. Then the military intervened and pushed for a larger shuttle, which grew larger and larger on the design table. The final design was only capable of low-Earth orbit of a few hundred miles up, and was extremely costly to loft into space. If NASA stuck with the original smaller design, the Space Shuttles would still be in use and we would have dozens of them in use. As with all government projects, politics screwed it up.
After the military screwed it up, it didn’t take long for them to lose interest. They abandoned the Shuttle long before NASA did.
” NASA stuck with the original smaller design, the Space Shuttles would still be in use and we would have dozens of them in use. As with all government projects”
Maybe, but the ISS never gets built without the SS that was ultimately built due to its payload capabilities. Whether the ISS was worth is another discussion.