[cpdiii]

NASA’s iconic Space Shuttle is arguably one of the best things America has made thanks to its sleek looks, its use in the launch of the International Space Station and its contribution to our understanding of the cosmos through the countless satellites it launched into orbit. Russia’s attempt at building a space plane of its own, however, was far less successful and now one of the few reminders of its existence sits rusting in a hanger in the desert.

The shuttle was a political driven project and a lemon. The entire weight of the shuttle could have been payload to orbit. We should have used heavy lift rockets to orbit, not the shuttle. It should be noted that the vast percentage of the international space station was lifted to orbit by multiple heavy lift rockets. With heavy lift rockets we would not have lost two shuttles and subsequent death of astronauts.

The shuttle was a marvel of engineering at great cost. Heavy lift rockets was the way to go. Just ask Elon Musk. He knows.

[larrytown]

I’d say the Hubble fix mission was about the most important thing it did.

But the costs associated with the Shuttle could have allowed a number of Hubble replacements, so that too was a wash.

[TexasGator]

“The shuttle was a political driven project”

It was also designed to meet certain military missions.