[I keep posting these clips from Bob Park's newsletter to this group
from time to time because (a) there's always been a large component of
"piloting" to the Shuttle, and (b) he's a sharp, well-informed, well-
connected, outspoken guy -- and (c) obviously because I agree with him
on the issue. If people on this group think this seriously OT and/or
are seriously annoyed by this, cast enough online votes and I'll quit.]


WHAT'S NEW Robert L. Park Friday, 30 Sep 05 Washington, DC

1. NASA: SO THE DAMNED SHUTTLE WAS A MISTAKE, WHAT DO WE DO NOW?

This week, NASA Administrator Michael Griffin told USA Today that
both the space shuttle and the International Space Station were
mistakes. His candor is admirable, but after all, these were not
Bush initiatives, and Griffin's opinion of them was known before
he was tapped for the top job. What is disturbing is that
Griffin pledged to complete the ISS before the shuttle is retired
in 2010. There are no plans to send a shuttle to service the
world's greatest telescope, but the schedule calls for 18 shuttle
flights to finish the ISS, plus 10 ISS supply missions that's
an average of 5.6 shuttle flights per year. Anyone who would bet
on getting 28 flights out of these rickety-old jalopies has been
living on some other planet. Even with a crew of just five,
that's 140 rolls of the dice. That's a big gamble to support a
space station that is now acknowledged to be of little value.