[rktman]

LOL! The comment about gw cancelling the program was semi-satirical since I DID know he shut it down. In the early years we were gearing up to build External Tanks at a pretty rapid pace. Challenger put a stop to that. One of the problems with the insulation (the “orange” tanks) was the application method that was changed due to epa regs after quite a few years of waivers. Sadly, the orbiters were only used for about a third of their design life. As far as “man on a stick” goes, Sierra Nevada Corp at least has a flyable option instead of the old “splash down” option. Who knows if and when the US will ever field human rated space vehicles again.

[Navy Patriot]

You are correct, the banning of chlorofluorocarbons used in making the high quality foam insulation for the external tanks, doomed the ability to boost the Orbiter and the Orbiter itself.

However, environmentalists make good compost.