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RolfAndreassen comments on Rationality quotes: April 2010 - Less Wrong
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In addition to NMJablonski's point, it is perhaps arguable just how well the Space Shuttle worked. In hindsight it seems that the same amount of orbital lift capacity could have been done rather more cheaply.
It works for a job it isn't used for: launching into a polar orbit to emplace secret military satellites, and gliding a very long distance back to base without a need for a splashdown recovery that might risk its secrecy.
That's what gave it the wings, and once you have the wings the rest of the design follows.