I take it the space shuttle was no improvement either? The world has lost that as well.
Robotics have supplanted whatever the Shuttle could do. For quite some time we will do our planetary searches with machines. Unless, of course, someone comes up with workable cold fusion systems.
The space shuttle was not an improvement.
It was developed to service the space station, which was developed to give the shuttles something to do.
It is perfectly apparent, at least to me, that we aren’t going to do much of anything in space until we come up with a form of propulsion that isn’t rocket-based.
If we could control the gravitational force with 1% of the effectiveness with which we control the electromagnetic force, we’d be on our way. Anywhere.