A lot becomes possible with shuttle out of the way
budget situation is so tight and space ranks sufficiently below other priorities that I find it hard to see how they'll get a sustained 5% annual increase --
Shuttle eats up a majority of NASAs budget, depending on how you cook the books for the operating costs, I've seen three different ways. With this cleared out of the way a lot of things become possible.
this plane encompases a lot,from what I gather of what it said, (and from what previous reviews suggested) they want an "all purpose inner-solar system Space Ship". If we visit anything, a NEO, the Moon, Phobos, Deimos. . . anything, it all will have been worth it to me.