The shuttle program was an expensive disaster. Saturn V rockets were overall better, had improvements on that design been pursued, we would be further along in reaching out to space.
The shuttle program overran all estimates on cost per launch and time between flights. It's development cost NASA any manned deep space mission capability. It's rocket booster and fuel tank system being mounted beside the main space verhicle instead of below has caused two disastrous failures.
What is NASA trying to do now? Build a Saturn V rocket.