If the Shuttle is so great why hasn’t the major contractors already persuaded NASA to privatize it?
Even at $758M per flight, the major contractors are not making enough profit because the Shuttle has some reusable components. This is the biggest reason why the major contractors are pushing for the fully expendable Constellation program. To stay competitive with commercial launch service providers, ShuttleCom must reduce the cost to fly the Shuttle to less than $225M to $133M per flight. It is our belief that the major aerospace contractors will make many times more profit from the development of the Space Shuttle upgrades as well as the orbital hotel and space tourist capsules.
