Why I Don't Like the Space Shuttle [Amy's Soapbox] 

I like the sense of optimism that the Shuttle era represented. Space launch and return was going to become routine, and then we were going to go on to bigger and better things like Mars. It's also amazing to stand in a museum where an orbiter is hanging and go "This giant thing flew? And stuck the landing on a runway from orbit?"

How could you not like someone who has a lunar, service, and command modules in her purse at all times. 😂 Just epic!

I'm old enough to remember the time a Space Shuttle was stolen by a Bond villain.

Hi Amy! One correction :) Gemini 4 was not the first EVA ever. The first space walk was by Alexei Leonov on March 1965. Ed White was the first American astronaut doing EVA several months later.

I once heard the shuttle described like this; it’s a butterfly sitting on a stick of dynamite.

Amy: "Say hi to everybody Pete!" Pete: Walks away...

“Built without a firm purpose.”. Essentially my first lines of code...

Any chance we could get some more videos on the Soviet side of things and the advances they made?

Omg I’m not alone, thank you, the whole project seemed like turning a Corvette into a Kenworth for the cost of an Aircraft Carrier

Gemini is definitely the most underrated of NASA's crewed spaceflight programs.

"Gemini IV was the first ever EVA" *Clears throat in Soviet*

I remember when they interrupted the Brady Bunch to show Armstrong taking first steps on the moon. I was 4 and i was pissed off.

I was born in June of 57, so I’ve lived through the whole manned space fight era to date. I was an absolute space nut as a kid, and I remember nearly all of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions. I was very excited about the shuttle program until the realities of its limitation became evident. So like you, I’m excited about the Hubble, but not really the whole shuttle program as it ended up. Money could have been spent on other space delivery systems, far cheaper than the shuttle program used up. Plus I’ve always been a little teed off that Nixon ended the Apollo program before we could decide how to stay permanently on the moon, ala Arthur C. Clarke. If I still had my mother costume jewelry collection, I would be happy to have sent you some of the clip on ear”rings.”

I worked with the Shuttle from the first one to last one. I also worked with the Viking.

Amy, you are a very special young lady. The explanation of “your vintage” and it’s impact on your life is wonderful. Well done!

You’re so freaking smart and entertaining man. I appreciate your research going into this video.

Came for the shuttle rant, stayed for the dinnerware. Great content! I'm fascinated by the development of the shuttle, far more than the finished shuttle itself. If I may politely ask, it would be neat to cover some of the post-Apollo/pre-Shuttle designs that never made it past the drawing board. I think it's a fascinating chunk of time when people were planning where to go after the moon, when the sky was hardly a limit anymore.

I am so confused. This is Amy's channel why would anyone tell her what to talk about or what is Vintage or not. We come here to listen to her opinions and knowledge and she does a damn awesome job.

As for "every Apollo accomplished something new," even Apollo 13 accomplished the very important task of recovering from a "tiny oops" to get the crew back home. 😉

2 minutes in.... I totally get it! It's the same as comparing modern cargo ships to European exploration of "the New World"

Who's here for the hot cat on blanket action?

The shuttle program turned out to be a financial disaster; the Saturn launch vehicle could have easily handled all the heavy lifting that the shuttle did at a fraction of the cost, in my opinion... I always realized that the Apollo missions stepped forward with new and improved capabilities with each mission...and I am not stating that heavy-lift missions would have been like that, aside from design improvements and lifting capabilities of the Saturn...

*I don't like bangs. That hurt didn't Amy. Ha ha. Kidding love your bangs.* The Shuttle launched and REPAIRED HUBBLE TELESCOPE AND EXTENDED ITS LIFE. THAT IS EXPLORING.

I’ve often seen you on the science channel. I’m so glad I found Vintage Space. I enjoy your description‘s

> "I even have vintage Tupperware; this is vintage Pyrex" You managed to offend both Tupperware and Pyrex companies :P

Notice how Pete was comfortable on the couch until you waved at him.

In January 1986 I was a Senior in High School, I was well versed in anything "Space" related which is a side effect of having a father that literally launched Neil and Buzz to the Moon in 1969 aboard Apollo 11 from inside Firing Room 1 at the Kennedy Space Center. Dad can be seen in the recent film "Apollo 11" sitting at his DDAS Telemetry Network console in the Firing Room @7.44 minutes into the film. Dad was the DDAS Network Controller for Apollo 10, 11,12, 16,17 and Skylab 2,3 and 4. Dad later built and repaired Space Shuttle Flight Computer Boards at IBM Owego along with the father of SpaceX Astronaut Doug Hurley who lived 3 miles away in Apalachin NY (mob town) including those aboard Challenger. Doug's father was project lead on the first space shuttle flight computers. Since Dad was a contractor we got KSC base passes for the launch of STS-6, Challenger's maiden flight. OMG she was beautiful! I had been just been accepted in to the Space Sciences / Aerospace Engineering program at FIT just south of the Kennedy Space Center. I was going to be a rocket engineer. I had a co-op set up at KSC. Then in January 1986 Challenger exploded due to human error! Her water soaked flight computers were returned to Dad's lab at IBM Owego NY. Our family was devastated and the Aerospace Industry was collapsing. I had a hard choice to make! Eventually switched majors to Electrical and Computer and Software Engineering rather than whither and die in the Aerospace Industry. I had an essay due 3 weeks after the Challenger tragedy. In this essay I advocate cancelling the Space Shuttle in favor of a safer method of travel. Space Planes! WE ALL KNEW MORE WOULD DIE IF THE SHUTTLE KEPT FLYING ! Then Columbia ! Imagine a 17 year old kid in high school writing this essay AS HIS DREAM BURNED THEN DROWNED IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN! I am about to return to the dream... The Project Mercury Film Trilogy (more on fb @ProjectMercuryFilm). The Space Plane Essay is named after the proposed TAV or "The Orient Express" Space Plane. Recently re-found but written 2-3 weeks after the Challenger Tragedy, printed on vintage 1980's IBM dot matrix printer, is on fb @ProjectApolloFilm ...

Amy, first I want to tell you how much I enjoy your channel. I’m old enough to have seen Alan Shepard’s first flight on TV (I was in elementary school) I remember listening on the radio about Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s Moon landing (I had just graduated high school) I’ve followed the space program from the beginning. Having said that, I loved the Shuttle! Just for the sheer dynamics of it. Watching all that equipment leave the launch pad and break the sound barrier in 45 seconds, then continue to accelerate for another 12 minutes. The whole thing just knocks me out! Then, how “matter of factly” it landed on a runway; just incredible. I know that technology has advanced beyond the Shuttle, but I really miss it anyway. Thanks for the great content, George

I was 10 years old when first saw footage of Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon and thought it was brilliant

You and Pete stay safe Amy! Thanks for reposting.

Watched your part 2 of this. Don't mind those people. The shuttle is nice and all but I'm 64 years old and was around for mostly and remember growing up watching the development of the gemini and Apollo programs. I live in Florida and although I never watched a launch from the cape I was able to see them go up from my front yard especially at night. That time was something that people who were not around for will never understand. Even today I watch anyting I can find on that era. I have listened to the Apollo 13 flight directors loop of that whole episode and it was fascinating. I was in Germany (army brat) when Apollo 11 landed on the moon. Stayed up all night watching it. The shuttle is OK but it will NEVER match those times. Love your site. Keep going, you're great.

I love that Simpson's analogy! Escalator to nowhere, I never thought of it like that! Very accurate!

I am a massive fan of passion. Your passion for vintage space is clear and I dig it.

Omg, you pulled out the little Apollo you keep in your purse and take everywhere, and I am dead! Adorable♥️

Thanks for the vid. Always great.

Great video Amy. "Space Version of the Escalator to nowhere" would make a wicked T Shirt!

Amy: “I don’t like the Space Shuttle.” Also Amy... “Here’s MY PERSONAL MODEL OF THE SHUTTLE!”

PETER! WHAT’S YOUR DEAL, BRUH?!

your channel is incredible!

Floored by your historical grasp of space travel. Awesome stuff Amy. Keep up the great work. :)

The only thing I love about the Shuttle it's it iconic shape, everything else - no, thank you.

A good book to read is "The Space Shuttle Decision." It's an eye-opener.

Have you considered looking at the manufacturing and industrial machinery from the 50's - 70's? It helps explain why a lot of the aesthetic of the era was the way it was, especially for consumer products. Plus, it of course ties into the problem solving and "why" and "how" of the period.

I love your video, always informative. Continue doing you!

"Yeah it had the Canadarm... GO TEAM!" :)

DEAR AMY...could you do a vid on the Saturn I rocket? Its almost the forgotten rocket in the shadow of the Saturn V, but NASA had two manned rocket systems at the same time.

Amy, I enjoy your videos. Keep them coming.

Yesterday I found out about your channel - great work!

Why I will always love the Shuttle: For years, it kept the torch burning for manned spaceflight, in an era where politicians strangled every other mission idea put to them. It may have been a hot mess, but it's iconic, and inspired a generation of young engineers into space science.

The cat on the couch screwing the pillow was just so damn funny

Love the cat bangin' the couch pillows. I'm subscribed! All kidding aside, Love your videos! Thank you!

I lived through the era you are fascinated with, born in 1956. I have a lot of space material from NASA I collected at the time on Apollo and in the mid 70s I got to work as a Co-op student at the Marshall Spaceflight Center, initially working on the solid boosters. The shuttle that was built was not the only one proposed, the phase B version was an all liquids vehicle with a fly back booster that had two pilots in addition to the orbiter which would have continued onto orbit. The development cost at the time for this was projected to be twice what we wound up with, but if it had been chosen it would have been cheaper in the long run. Since you are into vintage stuff look into the NERVA nuclear rocket engine program. It would have taken us to Mars and was envisioned to be a heavy cargo lifter to the moon to establish a base there. By the time it was cancelled in 1972 NERVA had run for 60 minutes continuous with no degradation and was flight ready. Take a look at that, there is a you tube video from NASA about it. if we do another shuttle I would favor an SSTO with aerospike engines.

I felt the same way when Shuttle was announced, I called it a TRUCK and trucks never did it for me.

Thank you for this, Amy! 👍🏼👍🏼 Stay safe!

I could listen to you talk about space forever, brilliant content

The Space Shuttle: Made to haul bureaucratic red tape into space. My eyes have been opened. :(

Is it just me or is that cat humping your pillow for the first 5 minutes of this video?? 😅

Here I always thought I had a weird unique view on the shuttle program and how it related to the history of space flight…Glad to know there's at least someone else who looks at it all the same as me !

I was never onboard with STS from the start. It was inherently unsafe compared to even the Mercury space capsule, and no one can forget that STS killed 14 astronauts.

I feel the same way about the Shuttle, although watching the first launch in 1981 was pretty exciting at the time.

From what I remember it was supposed to be the first step in a plan by NASA. Things didn't go the way they wanted so we didn't get the shuttle or the plan they wanted.

The shuttle for me was a lost opportunity. The bean counters effectively killed it before it even started. The original concept was a space plane. Described as a "Cadillac in space" it was supposed to be able to take off and land from any major airport. The bean counters came in with their red pens and it became a "Chevy in space." The Cadillac would still be flying and would likely have been profitable.

Pretty cool Amy. Since we're all hunkered down, it's pretty neat to learn more about you. I love your sense of style, I wish I had some :-)

The one thing I can't believe is they built the Space Shuttle with no launch escape system. I'm old enough to remember watching Challenger on TV in school, live. Apollo had a launch escape system built in but the Shuttle had no way out if things went south. That's just crazy to me. Challenger and her crew paid the price.

If the Shuttle worked at the costs advertised and the turnaround advertised, I would have been more in favor. However the Shuttle was able to do much more than a disposable rocket could do - remember that it displayed a capabilty to recover and return satellites, as well as serve as a repair platform for the Hubble. Also the ISS could never have been able to be constructed without the Shuttle. The Spacelab module would have been a vey good research platform, but they were never able to do enough launches to allow for the module to be used.

you are great. watching these videos reminds me of when i would stay home from school back then to watch a launch

I really have to say, bringing the whole vintage aspect of space travel ( what a truly odd phrase) into the vintage design ascetic and looking at it from a historic standpoint is truly novel and exciting.

All the dishes and mugs look like our table settings when I was a kid ..... I guess I am vintage

I can't unsee what is going on with that cat in the background.

With all that cool “vintage” swag, you must throw the best dinner parties! 🍸 Also...incredible content, I stumbled upon your part 2 of this video first, so naturally I had to follow it up with this vid, quite the fun and interesting channel you have here! 🥳

I remeber as a kid sitting in class and them telling us about the space shuttle. This was just after the moon landings and a few years before the first shuttle took off. We learned that not only could the POS not get to the moon, it couldn't even get half way to the moon. I knew then that we were not going anywhere in my lifetime. Broke my heart.

It didn't just launch the Hubble, though. It repaired it. What other spacecraft could rendezvous with an already launched satellite and actually do repairs?

Man, these comments are entertaining.

Agree Amy. As I've read the Space Shuttle was created for Military purpose basically. For this reason can not be compared to the previous projects for space exploration. Grettings from Barcelona !!!

The shuttle program lasted for 30 years. Yet it managed to hold us back by at least 40 years....... Oh but it helped us build the space station in 1998. Though we launched Skylab in 1973, and then had to let it burn up in the atmosphere because the shuttle wasn’t ready yet......

Not a surprise when considering your covering and coveting of the Saturn V, which had possible configurations just as reusable as the Space Shuttle, as well as plans to launch a smaller Space Shuttle from the rocket itself.

My mother worked on the Space Shuttle main engine control algorithms but honestly the design is not good

The shuttle wasn't like a bus, it was a bus.

Wow, your range and depth of knowledge is incredible. 😎👌

Definitely would be interested in a "What If" look at the original proposal for the space shuttle, with the flyable, reusable first stage and the smaller orbiter.

The space shuttle orbiter in and of itself is a marvel of engineering. One vehicle could launch, re-enter the atmosphere, land, act as a space station with habitat for human occupancy, considerably change orbits, deliver payloads, retrieve payloads, support spacewalks, perform maintenance function. The limiting factor of the orbiter is that of its mission in low earth orbit. This mission limitation did, yes in fact, stagnate the aspirations for space program for 30-years. The pioneering spirit was replaced with the spying spirit (business as usual).

Brilliant recap, Amy, luv spaceship stuff 🚀 !!

One of the biggest issues with the shuttle was that it was compromised by design. The original design called for only OMS engines, and maneuvering thrusters, very similar to the Soviet Buran. This would have increased cargo capacity, since all the heavy lifting would have been done by the booster stack. There are examples of compromises like that all through the shuttle program. It stands as a prime example of why private space development will always be superior to government sponsored exploration.

Yep, cat.

Even though Amy only discusses historic flights, I wonder what she thinks about Dragon Crew about to got up at the end of May.

As a child of the 80's I love the space shuttle far more that I should. I remember watching the first takeoff and landing in grade school, and the Challenger disaster in Middle school. As an adult scientist and engineer, I see it as a deeply flawed program, both from a design and programmatic standpoint.

I think the reason is because the Shuttle is a part of our progression into space. All things become vintage in time. Every step is important. I'm an old-school rocket guy, but I love it all.

I loved it before and damn I'm going to love it again! Any spacecraft that has John W. Young on is the one for me!!!

When you talk about NASA programs from that era, it sounds like their purpose was progress oriented. How do you feel about NASA in 2020 ?

I love your blog. Yea I was in the middle of my second attempt to finish college when Challenger blew up. I listened to the launch on the radio on the way to school and turned it off just before the explosion, so when I got there everyone was shocked and for a while I didn't believe it happened. Then I saw the video. I was really upset since I was at the time finishing my education to become a teacher. So, ya when I learned about the management failures (especially after Apollo 1) I was confused. Then I learned that NASA sold the program to Congress by telling them there would be multiple launches per month and that the payloads would pay for everything. This is why what I'm seeing with the introduction of companies like Spacex is so exciting. Sure would love your delightful take on our current progress. Love your vintage stuff!

Googie architecture and design! Space Needle, Jetsons, etc. Mid-Century Modern furniture exhibitions and collections at art museums are some of my favorite things to see. Music of the late '50s and early '60s (Buddy Holly, Beach Boys, Beatles, The Drifters) is often heard as study music in my classroom. Sounds like we share a deep affection for that period's art and design. Love your thoughtful and commentaries. (My Dad worked for Boeing and brought home Dyna-Soar color prints for me when I was 7 years old - yes, I'm rather older than you.)

"Mercury program showed could u swallow food, did ur eye pop out during space flight...." Le Gagarin: 😐

Come on, Pete... Have some decency!

The soviets couldn’t make any sense of the shuttle, but thought “there must be something we’re not seeing”, so they made their own shuttle, the Buran. After flying it once, they went “naah, it doesn’t make any sense” and dumped it.

It took me a couple or 3 of these videos to realize the double meaning of "Vintage Space" as in, it's about the old Era of spaceflight; but also, a "space for vintage items"

So are the cat having relations?

Amy! Stick to your guns! I love your info and your take on it. I'd like to see an episode of how the space race affected pop culture from fins on Cadillac to toaster and Googie style architecture. Your beautiful kid. Keep going. Greg

There was a little emotion in your voice when you said "The last Saturn V ever to launch" I feel the same way.

Amy did a video about the space shuttle, finally!

Amy: "Say hi to everybody Pete." Pete: "Crap, the camera is on." what the hell was that cat doing back there before Amy noticed him. It looked like it was trying to unstick his zipper.