How to Avoid Repeating the Debacle That Was the Space Shuttle: ‘The most important thing to realize about the space shuttle program is that it is objectively a failure. The shuttle was billed as a reusable craft that could frequently, safely, and cheaply bring people and payloads to low Earth orbit. NASA originally said the shuttles could handle 65 launches per year; the most launches it actually did in a year was nine; over the life of the program, it averaged five per year. NASA predicted each shuttle launch would cost $50 million; they actually averaged $450 million.’ Related, NASA Space Shuttle Archive.
//
Very nice unofficial animated credits for the new Tintin film. By James Curran. Via Daniel Gray. Advance word on the film isn’t especially encouraging / Wallpaper* does a Top20 websites / stepping stones, a tumblr / Do Not Fold, a weblog / Sabrina Campagna, a tumblr / Cope, a weblog about making games work / the reHouse concept for simpler domestic appliances / Bitch Magnet are back. Interviews / How Close Is the Recession to Your Doorstep? / Okolo, interiors, architecture and objects.
More shuttle reading at ‘Rocket to No Where (2005)’ and more recently ‘Good riddance to the Space Shuttle’.