Obama should rethink NASA's space program, editorial, Washington Post

"... with the cancellation of Ares I, the administration wants to rely on private companies to develop vehicles to get passengers to low-Earth orbit. These "space taxis" would stretch current capabilities, but the private sector could play an important, and potentially cost-effective, role. It is odd for those who accuse this administration of wanting to take over the private sector to blast this initiative."

Shuttle backers say space station needs safety net

"[Senator] Hutchison's scenario "says you have to protect against something that's extremely unlikely," said John Logsdon, a space historian and former director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University. "I think it is trying to make an argument in support of a relatively parochial position of keeping the shuttle flying." Retirement of the shuttle fleet would have no impact on crew safety, said former shuttle astronaut John Grunsfeld. "We don't rely on the shuttle as a rescue vehicle in the event of a problem on space station -- that's exactly why we have Soyuz that are docked up there all the time," he said."