Comment Re:Nasa should reclaim this (Score 1) 234
Ok, so what? The shuttle goes fast and far, doesn't mean there cannot be a reusable orbital craft. Not to mention that 99.99999% of the 'far' is spent in almost no stress drifting around. It's nearly meaningless, even though it sounds impressive to the uneducated.
It's not exactly no stress. The shuttle's interior is pressurized while it's in a vacuum. Pressure = stress. It's tremendously critical that everything is absolutely airtight. While I agree that liftoff/re-entry are probably the most stressful parts of the mission, I think you are taking credit away from the amazing engineering that goes into the shuttle. Even if it is just "drifting around".