Space Shuttle Design Process - Retrospection After Three Decades

Retrospection After Three Decades

See also: Criticism of the Space Shuttle program and Space Shuttle retirement

Opinions differ on the lessons of the Shuttle. It was developed with the original development cost and time estimates given to President Richard M. Nixon in 1971, at a cost of US$6.744 billion in 1971 dollars versus an original $5.15 billion estimate. The operational costs, flight rate, payload capacity, and reliability have been different than anticipated, however.

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