New space shuttle manager John Shannon said NASA should not extend operations of the vehicle beyond its planned retirement date in 2010, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Although the shuttle is an “awesome” spacecraft, it is also aging and flawed.
“I should not have to go inspect my vehicle after ascent to make sure I survived my ascent environment,” Shannon said. “Its flexibility makes it unparalleled in building a space station, but once that is complete the shuttle has completed its mission and it’s time to move on.”
Worried about a potential five-year gap in flight operations between the end of shuttle and the start of Constellation operations, some groups are advocating extending the life of the shuttle program. Florida Congressmen Dave Weldon wants to fly a limited number of additional flights to resupply the International Space Station and to bring Constellation online earlier.
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