Putting Off Shuttle's Retirement

Congress, led by members from Florida, is looking at softening the 2010 deadline for the final shuttle flight, adding $2.5 billion to NASA's 2011 budget to allow for possible shuttle missions that year.

Proponents of the approach argue holding NASA to a firm deadline might lead to pressure to launch before the ship is completely ready. Investigations into the 1986 Challenger and the 2003 Columbia accidents found pressure to launch was a factor in both tragedies. Proponents also argue that flying the shuttle beyond 2010 would help close the gap between the shuttle and the Constellation programs, as well as save 3,500 jobs in the shuttle program.

Of course, those jobs wouldn't be saved as much as they would be extended-- perhaps not an insignificant factor in the current economy. The core question, however, might be whether extending an aging spacecraft as long as possble is really a good idea, consistent with crew safety.