Turns out not at all safe. I wonder why they couldn't be flown unmanned?

"Griffin warns, 'With knowledge gained since the loss of Columbia, we estimate there is a one in 80 chance of losing a crew during any single shuttle launch.'

"The NASA administrator goes on to write, 'If we were to conduct 10 additional launches prior to retiring the shuttle, there would be about a one in 8 chance another crew would be lost. These are sobering odds - one reason why the Columbia Accident Investigation Board recommended the shuttle be replaced as soon as possible.'

"Whoa, Nellie!

"If I read this correctly, NASA feels the odds are a one-in-8 chance the agency will lose a shuttle during the 10 flights to be flown before the shuttle is to be grounded Sept. 30, 2010. If this is true, why is NASA flying these missions, even if the USA has contractual obligations with international partners to complete the construction of the international space station?"

Undoubtedly they will (and have) decided to fly. And that may be the wisest decision. I hope they can do it without having to rejigger the statistics to make it seem safer unless it truly is. Given the age of even the newest and complexity of all of those things I can't imagine there are many more flights in any of them.

Arf