[extropy-chat] Shuttle costs

[kevinfreels.com]

Does anyone here have an idea of how much money has been spent since Columbia to "repair" the shuttle? What about the money spent maintaining a shuttle program while we are unable to fly the shuttle? 
I'm sure everyone here knows that despite 2 1/2 years and a ton of money, the shuttle has been grounded again until at least next March because of the same problems. I am tired of seeing good money thrown at this thing while it continues to dog us.
The orbiter is a miracle of modern engineering (or at least it was in the 1970s). It is perhaps the most complex machine ever built by human hands. The question is, should we be putting human beings into such a complex device when a less complex device could be made safer, more reliable, and less expensive? I think not. We've already gone 2 1/2 years without a manned space program and are looking at another 7 months. ANother few years wouldn't hurt us either if we just killed the orbiter program and began development of something else now. We already know that something else needs to be developed soon. Why do we keep putting it off in favor of this unreliable old jaloppy?
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