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I don’t care much that she dropped the tools. Happens all the time in a lot of professions. I just don’t see how a small bag of tools is $100k. My guess is more government waste. Privatize NASA. I bet the price of the “special” tools would mysteriously drop through the floor.

It's the R&D plus tooling up {molds & casting} for the tools that causes the cost. A wrench you go buy for your car may be fine for that but not NASA specs. Have you noticed that todays tools sold on the market you can now break? Used to breaking a Craftsman wrench or socket for example was something to brag about:>} I twisted a X tire tool the other day just loosening lug nuts put on by an impact wrench. I didn't have a bar on it I bent it with my bare hands.

I don't think in this case it's the $1000 hammer syndrome. You're dealing with some tools that have to be able to take some very extreme temperatures. Remember also the astronauts are in protective suits the tools are not. The metals have to be tempered to withstand the usage stress plus environmental stress. You can't run to Sears or Wally World for such quality. Temperatures can change metal tolerances real quick. So you want tools with minimal change under those conditions.