[knarf55]

It's sad to see that we are retiring the US Shuttle program. In a recent article in the Economist about how the space race is now dead, the US is now are reliant on other countries to send folks up into space or the ISS ... even though they are planning on retiring the ISS in 2020.

I'm hoping that the privatization of the space programs (like SpaceX or Virgin Galatic) gets enough interest to fuel more funding and research into space travel though only a handful of rich folks could ever pay for a ride in one of those programs ...

[rbanffy]

SpaceX can, sort of, already deliver people and cargo to the ISS. And the Dragon looks more spacious than a Soyuz.

The shuttle, cool as it is, is a money drain. All but one of its mission profiles can be fulfilled by cheaper vehicles.