Criticism of the Space Shuttle program case of "Challenger" to risk the lives of seven astronauts and nearly one-fourth of NASA's launch assets to place in orbit a communications satellite." There are some NASA spin-off technologies related to the Space Shuttle program which have been successfully developed into commercial products, such as using heat-resistant materials developed to protect the Shuttle on reentry, in suits for municipal and aircraft rescue firefighters. Criticism of the Space Shuttle program Criticism of the Space Shuttle program stemmed from claims that NASA's Shuttle program failed to achieve its promised cost and utility goals, as well as design, cost, management, and safety
Space Shuttle program contractor for the program was North American Rockwell (later Rockwell International, now Boeing), the same company responsible for building the Apollo Command/Service Module. The contractor for the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters was Morton Thiokol (now part of Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems), for the external tank, Martin Marietta (now Lockheed Martin), and for the Space Shuttle main engines, Rocketdyne (now Aerojet Rocketdyne). The first orbiter was originally planned to be named "Constitution", but a massive write-in campaign from fans of the "Star Trek" television series convinced the White House to change the name to "Enterprise". Amid great fanfare, "Enterprise" (designated