> This is the important point that many politicians will conveniently ignore
> in the next few weeks as they try to score political points by condemning
> NASA, the current administration, global warming and the night shift
janitor
> at their least favorite fast food restaurant for the crash.
>
> And to think that at one time courage and a willingness to sacrifice were
> considered positive traits.

But we shouldn't make the opposite error of assuming that just because
something is dangerous it is therefore noble or useful or necessary.  The
space shuttle has always been a boondoggle--expensive, dangerous, and
unnecessary.

Gregg Easterbrook, in 1980 and this week:
http://washingtonmonthly.com/features/2001/8004.easterbrook-fulltext.html
http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101030210/sceasterbrook.html

The International Space Station is another boondoggle, created just so that
the shuttle would have somewhere to go.  The consensus among scientists has
always been that its value was negligible and the money could be better
spent on many other worthy ventures (in the vein of Hubble, Voyager,
Galileo, Chandra, etc.)
http://popularmechanics.com/science/space/2002/12/lost_in_space

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