“The most serious problems with the space shuttle can be summarized as follows: its questionable role in competing national priorities and internal NASA priorities; the lack of a clear definition of NASA's goals for shuttle use; the uncertainties in the recurring cost of the use and possible reuse of solid-fueled boosters; the questionable need for extensive pay load subsystem refurbishments; the secondary social and economic costs of the shuttle; and the probability that the Department of Defense will become the primary shuttle customer and principal cost-driver in the shuttle design. “Portions of this article are based on a statement presented before the U.S. Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences on the NASA authorization for fiscal year 1973, Bill S3094, April 12, 1972. Several science, engineering and law students at the University of California at Berkeley and at San Francisco State College participated in the assessment of the space shuttle. Brian O'Leary, a former astronaut, is assist...