So farewell then the Space Shuttle officially called the Space Transportation System, which will end its service in 2010. I feel some affinity for the reusable spacecraft as the project was formally launched the year I was born – 1972. I vividly remember waiting for the first launch in 1981 in front of a TV at primary school. I also remember watching Challenger explode live on TV.

NASA has decided to retire the space-plane due to growing concerns over the danger from falling foam insulation damaging the craft. This was the cause of the loss of Columbia and it seems despite measures been taken the risk is deemed to great.

The Space Shuttle concept was never a good design though. It's existence owes more to the wishes of the military than any good scientific or engineering reasons. The aim of a cheap reusable craft was never realised and rival space agencies routinely put payloads in orbit via simpler rocket systems.

The external tank, booster rockets and separate orbiter design of the Shuttle system is something of a cobbled together witch's broomstick and not the ideal way of getting payloads into orbit cheaply. The replacement and maintenance of the ceramic heat resistant tiles has been particularly costly and in retrospect another design of heat shield should have been used.

Human space exploration seems to really be lagging behind what is possible. The choice following the successful Apollo Moon landings was between a reusable space shuttle and a manned journey to Mars using Apollo technology. Unfortunately for those of us science fiction dreamers the decision was made to go for the project with military applications.