[struwwelpeter]

The Soviets tried to fly an STS named Buran ("Blizzard"). It made one unmanned flight before being scrapped.

Perhaps flying souped up V-2 rockets is cheaper, but there are no R&D "spin-offs" to benefit the nation as a whole.

The loss of Columbia may end up being due to an "act of God" such as meteor or space debries damage, something that could not have been prevented, but the shuttles are getting long in the tooth. NASA needed to have the STS replacement in the pipeline after Challenger. Something 100% innovative and daring. Like America.

[Desdemona]

The loss of Columbia may end up being due to an "act of God" such as meteor or space debries damage, something that could not have been prevented, but the shuttles are getting long in the tooth. NASA needed to have the STS replacement in the pipeline after Challenger.

The shuttles were built with 100 flights in mind. Columbia was on 26. It wasn't age exactly.

I asked my dad, a retired aerospace loads engineer (static, not dynamic) and he said, yes, the vibrations and flutter, especially at 207,000 feet, with a small crack not detected in inspection, could potentially do it. But who knows. They're talking insulation and tire pressure, but they won't figure it out until all the data is put together.

[Bobby777]

it's amazing they fly as often as they do, since they undergo tremendous stress loads ... I've heard there was something on liftoff (possible icing damage) ... I've also heard there was no EVA to inspect the vehicle ... I would hope this isn't true ...