The projected cost in US dollars of running the space program kept rising. And knowing this is unsustainable, NASA needs to prove itself, needs to bolster its purpose, over and above civilian scientific research and discovery.
The Air Force, meanwhile, wants to upgrade Titan. An efficient fleet of unmanned rockets to deploy spy satellites into space.
NASA approaches Congress with a deal that seems to make great economic sense, the government can stop funding Titan and instead divert the money to NASA, and the Shuttle becomes sole access into space.
NASA knocks out the Air Force and gets a funding boost. And the Shuttle secures its raison d'etre.
And NASA convinced Congress that by 1986 they'd be able to launch twice a month, every month, and on each of these flights, payload will be made available to the Department of Defense.
But NASA reneges on its obligation and instead of giving DoD priority, they started taking Senators up there, in PR stunt after PR stunt.
And then, launches start getting cancelled.
The press is beginning to notice...
Congress is getting jumpy.
And the administration is asking questions.
And then last December, the launch is delayed six times, and remember NASA had promised Congress launch at any time, under any conditions, and then January 28th, January 28th launch, it's cold, it's very cold but NASA feels under extreme pressure.
And took the risk.
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