In any event, it was awesome and perplexing at the same time as a great program comes to a successful conclusion after 30 years launching (and relaunching) the most complex vehicle ever built by anyone. (Don't let'em tell you that complexity can not be conquered by a little skill and science)
And why exactly did the program end with five serviceable vehicles and an operational destination to go to every couple of months? I have no idea, and I doubt it's really money. Hopefully, manned space will press on from here as it did when the shuttle replaced Apollo.
And, haven't we been hearing there's a need for technical talent in this country; that's we not graduating enough, and not retaining trained immigrants? Well, here's a technical workforce with numbers in the thousands. Hopefully, we don't toss it away.
