1. Why do you think NASA has been staunchly committed to the space shuttle program more than three decades after the initial plans were drawn up with a technology that had its origin in the 1960s? Was NASA justified in this long-term commitment to the space shuttle program even after the Challenger disaster in the mid-1980s? Explain your answer.
2. Based on what you have learned in this chapter, what does the space shuttle tell us about the pitfalls of planning? In retrospect, what should NASA have done differently in its planning process to prevent the problems discussed in this case? Explain.
3. Can planning help an organization better deal with uncertainty? What does the space shuttle case discussed above teach us about the difficulties of dealing with uncertainty? Explain.