BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Nasa firm on shuttle retirement

"'The shuttle is inherently flawed. It does not have an escape system for its crew,' Nasa chief Michael Griffin told a Senate oversight committee.

'We all know that since human perfection is unattainable, sooner or later there will be another shuttle accident,' he said. 'I want to retire it before that flight can occur.'"

Hail Russia, the true master of space!