"The Space Shuttle suffered an appalling fatality/flight ratio."
The Shuttle flew 135 times, with two failures (Challenger and Columbia).
Soyuz flew it's 135th flight last October, and has had three failures (Soyuz 1 and 11 were both lost Soyuz 10TA had a fire at launch, but the escape system worked and both passengers survived).
Shuttle carried 833 people to orbit and back, and 14 died.
Soyuz has carried about 325-400* people and four have died.
So, I put it to you that the Shuttle has about an average safety record for a spacecraft.
* (I can't find a number, and i can't be bothered to count them all up, also, Soyuz has had some 'almost failures', such as Soyuz 18A)
Biting the hand that feeds IT
