Why has society become so risk averse?

Certainly, with the Space Shuttle, if there are known critical problems, we should do our best to fix them. However, there are absolutely no guarantees. Travel outside Earth's atmosphere is still just plain risky.

The launch delays, seemingly at times through the media lens, appeared to possibly cause the latest launch to be on brink of being scrubbed (perhaps forever). I was definitely fearful that NASA was going to get caught in analysis paralysis, preventing this and any future launch from occurring.

The eventual successful launch of the shuttle (despite some known issues) gives me hope that, as a society, we're still willing to take calculated risks and move forward in the name of progress and discovery.

I look forward to seeing much more of that.

It's fitting that the launch occurred on July 4th, on an anniversary date that the founders of this country truly did take great personal risks to secure the freedom and rights that Americans, all too often, take for granted.