Posted 8/22/2007 11:12:00 AM by Douglas

Yet another example that public support for the Shuttle program, and NASA in general, is waning. This time, from The New York Times:

What started two weeks ago as a routine space shuttle flight to service the international space station and let a teacher-astronaut inspire students from her perch in space turned into a bit of a nail-biter when the shuttle Endeavor suffered minor damage during liftoff. In the end, NASA handled the problem deftly, and the shuttle landed safely at the Kennedy Space Center yesterday. But it was a troubling reminder that the aging shuttles have some inherent defects that will always pose a risk as they limp toward retirement in 2010.

[...]

NASA will now look for quick fixes to reduce debris-shedding in the next few flights while it pursues a longer-term solution. But it has become increasingly clear that the shuttle’s design, which puts a huge external fuel tank insulated with foam above a fragile spacecraft, is fundamentally flawed. This problem won’t be solved until the shuttles are replaced with a new vehicle.

Ok, well, duh. Will the last person in the Shuttle program please remember to turn the lights out when you leave? Thanks!