Difference of Opinion Over Safety of Shuttles

NASA begins to contemplate life without Mike , Orlando Sentinel

“Griffin opposes efforts to rethink his rocket designs or keep the shuttle flying beyond its planned 2010 retirement date. He has said that continuing to fly the shuttle is not only expensive but also unsafe for astronauts, citing a 1-in-8 chance of losing a shuttle every 10 flights. Shannon, however, distanced himself from some of Griffin’s views, saying that he told Obama transition team members that the shuttle could be flown safely without risking astronaut lives for a “limited period of time.”