The end of the space shuttle marks a retreat in America's ambitions

[Yelnoc]

I just wished there was a state-of-the-art vehicle to replace the Space Shuttle.  Sure, it was old and time to retire it, but American astronauts shouldn't have to hitch rides with Russian Cosmonauts to go to the ISS.

We could have saved enough money by allowing private companies to do the mundane space hauling and let NASA focus on science and exploration (which, after all, is their raison d'etre).  Allow private companies to build their own launch pads and focus on things like sending probes to Europa to swim through the moon's ice-covered oceans.  There are a million reasons to fund NASA and a million ways to do it without it hurting.