I'm afraid I don't know any more about the shuttle than what shows up on the Discovery Channel. As I understand it, the Shuttle is some old technology. Far and away above anything I do, though.
Even with older airplanes, upgrades in avionics continue to give new life. Look at the B52; it was thought to be ready for retirement two decades ago, and now it looks like it will fly at least another 25 years.
Personally, I'm an ag aviator (crop duster) that gets sidetracked into doing a little bit of this or that on the side. I like fabric airplanes and things that go low and slow with the nosewheel somewhere other than the nose and a little character to go with the wings. Or helicopters...but then who doesn't?