The space shuttle as we know it was not the Space Shuttle NASA originally envisaged, and in the original concepts the orbiter would carry turbojets to help it land, and give it the option of performing a go around if there was a problem. The engines would also give the orbiter the ability to ferry itself from its landing site to its launch site, reducing logistical complexity.
But between budget challenges and a better understanding of the engineering the shuttle lost many of its ambitious features and found its true nature as the worlds most extreme glider.
Credit where credit is due: This was inspired by a post on the somethingawful forums.
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