Quote:
Originally Posted by mithrandir
Ken it's all down to cost. The shuttles never got to be an economic proposition. Making them reusable meant they had to be more sturdy than a use once craft, which meant they had to be heavier, which made them more expensive to launch and had to be thoroughly checked out before reuse.
A use once craft just gets recycled when it returns. The ocean is a lot softer than a runway and you don't have to take landing gear into orbit.
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All good and valid points Andrew.
Thanks.
It still seems like a backward step in this day and age though.
But I definitely see your point
