Yes it is an end to the era of the space shuttle and it is like any other mode of transportation it served well for it's time but the time has come to develope and put something better, faster, and cheaper in place. Who knows maybe we will see the comercilization of space just like we saw the comercilization of the other modes of transportation like the railroads, ships, airplanes, and so on. Just have to remeber that every trip starts with that first step and the shuttle programs has been one of many steps as we reach out and explore.