截止1979年8月,美国航天飞机的研制情况是:预算超支,研制进度一再延期。1973年宣布首次轨道飞行试验在1978年3月。由于不断出现问题,这一日期曾多次推延。最近一次又宣布推迟到1980年3月或6月。而即使1980年6月发射,航宇局在1979年8月给卡特总统的报告中也声称所要做的工作是紧张的。随着首次轨道飞行试验日期的推迟,空间运输系统(整个航天飞 As of August 1979, the development of the U.S. space shuttle was that the budget was overruns and the development schedule was delayed again and again. In 1973 the first orbital flight test was announced in March 1978. Due to recurring problems, this date has been postponed several times. The most recent announcement was postponed to March or June 1980. Even in June 1980, NASA claimed in its report to President Carter in August 1979 that the work to be done was tense. As the first orbital flight test date is postponed, the space transportation system (the entire space shuttle