Why is the Space Shuttle project ending?

It seems sad that the Space Shuttles are ending. I remember when this started and how it affected my life -- I was just a kid watching it blast into space but it opened my mind to new way's of thinking. I even built a pseudo-model that I would launch from my school's baseball field and then watch it glide back down to earth.

I'm sure the space program will continue, I just hope that it will have as dramatic effect on my kids as it did on me.

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