[The_Victor]

Foam or no foam, maybe they should have considered retiring a space craft that was over 20 years old. NASA should have been actively developing a replacement for the shuttle after Challenger.

NASA cannot build what Congress won't fund.

[Orangedog]

I believe already I tarred and fearthered the polititians in one of my other posts on this thread, but that's a good point.

[RightWhale]

NASA cannot build what Congress won't fund.

Exactly. Congress wanted the race to the moon. It wasn't JFK's idea, he ran the PR for it. Private space development has been aced out. The White House has never favored manned space development, and until Congress decides to do it, it won't happen. We are, in other words, stuck on this backwater mudball forever.