[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by troutman

Why did NASA retire the Space Shuttle?
The Space Shuttle was NASA’s workhorse for 30 years. But despite all its features, it had some fatal flaws.

https://astronomy.com/news/2020/11/w...flying%20again.

I know why the original shuttle was scuttled, but not why the idea itself was never improved upon. Launching a shuttle from a plane would eliminate the need for rocket boosters and should allow for quicker turnaround, and one would hope that a shuttle designed 40 years later would be able to use safer materials for the heat shield