I know, I know. You can take the most beautiful person in the world, and look at 'em under a microscope and it will sicken you.

And these shuttles seem to be at least a little bit baling wire and chewing gum. There must be quite a bit on each flight that has some engineer chewing his fingernails. No wonder they're so jubilant when one lands.

I think they should have a package in space on a similar orbit which has water, food, suits, whatever they might need for an extended stay. Something easily accessible in case they couldn't come down right away.

That's assuming they could get up there, couldn't get back down.

There's gotta be an easier way. Maybe subcontract out LEO stuff to the Russians. Require "Coca-Cola" logos on the sides of rockets so everyone knows who's paying for them.

They seem to get up and down a bit less expensively, and haven't lost many.

Right now, though, if I had my choice between a Shuttle and Soyuz ride to ISS, I'd take the Soyuz.

Arf