SHUTTLE, INC.

Some of NASA's old hands now think the lofty space shuttle program should become more "customer-oriented" -- even privatized -- so that the space agency can cut costs and go back to R&D. In a new study obtained by Reuters, a task force led by Christopher Kraft, a key figure in the Apollo moon program, says future shuttles should haul space cargo commercially, and advises NASA to cut back on an expensive "safety shield" for astronauts developed after the 1986 Challenger explosion. "Safety is one of those terms that can be used to hide behind and prevent necessary change and innovation," the Kraft team wrote. NASA officials say the report is "one piece of many'' that agency officials are assembling as they try to chart a low-budget future.