The shuttles are about as efficient and safe as zeppelins were, and it's time to retire them and free up the funds for airplanes. You don't want to loose station components. But...

Let's say you're a young engineer, looking for work in the launch industry...

Remember that a lot of the shuttle flight engineering staff is reaching retirement age, and want to leave while they can be sure that their benefits are in place. This leaves a lot of openings - a lot of new people needed. But...

Let's say you're a young engineer, looking for work in the launch industry...

What you want to get in on are the EELVs, and particularly the new manned systems... You don't want to work on shuttles. That way you don't have to change careers, that is if you still can, and loose seniority; that way you have your job and income are locked in for a number of years...

About the only way NASA can keep the shuttles flying is by assuring the new USA employees working on them that they will have first crack at the CV-EELV jobs opening later on...

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