Shooting for the Stars

As the shuttle is retired, the future of manned space exploration is uncertain.

EVANSTON, Ill. --- With the return of Space Shuttle Atlantis from its latest mission, only two flights remain before NASA retires the shuttle program. Despite budgetary uncertainty, Michael Smutko, senior lecturer in physics and astronomy at Northwestern University, remains optimistic about the future of manned space exploration on the part of the United States. In this audio commentary, Smutko discusses future possibilities for NASA and the legacy of the space shuttle.