Why The Space Shuttle Had To End, According To The First Female Mission Commander

Why The Space Shuttle Had To End, According To The First Female Mission Commander

HUM Images/Universal Images Group/Getty ImagesAs NASA breaks into new frontiers, interest in human spaceflight seems to be enjoying a buzzy renaissance. In both science fiction and actual spaceflight, 2026 feels like a year in which the exploration of space is also leading to a reassessment of the recent past. But before SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Artemis, the public American symbol of spaceflight was NASA’s space shuttle program. And one of the m…