[Calvin Locke]

...this largely cosmetic cover was abandoned to save weight.

Yeah, and I remember a NASA guy bragging about in-orbit tile repair kits, after a bunch of tiles fell off.

Provisioning of that kit was abandoned to save weight.

But plenty of weight allowances and space available to over-staff culturally marxist crews,
selected politicians, etc.

So much for safety.

At least NASA abandoned the "Journalist in Space" idea.

[Hu Gadarn]

Since when has NASA been anything other than a bunch of bean counting accountants...... If it weren't for NASA we would have bases on the moon. It was a NASA bureaucrat that caused the first shuttle disaster by ordering a go AGAINST the recommendations of the engineers who designed and built it