I think the bigger issue in the aftermath of this disaster is whether the shuttle program is worthwhile at all. I'm convinced that 95% of the shuttle's functions can be performed by unmanned spacecraft, and the cost of launching such spacecraft would be much lower because they wouldn't have to be terribly concerned about the human element.
Heck, they could even try to launch the things in a hurricane if they wanted to, and if it crashed then the only concern would be how much money they've lost.
Heck, they could even try to launch the things in a hurricane if they wanted to, and if it crashed then the only concern would be how much money they've lost
And how many people it killed when it hit the ground in a major city ?