Alternative to Shuttle Launches and Returns: Chew on This NASA

Here's a thought:

Instead of launching the same shuttles over and over and having them re-enter Earth's atmosphere repeatedly, why doesn't NASA build an orbital spacedock that is large enough to hold the entire shuttle fleet and armored enough to withstand strikes from meteorites and other space debris?

Think about it: they would build shuttles on the ground and launch them once.

They would have to develop a new way of getting the shuttle crews up there as well as cargo for the International Space Station and the spacedock.

They could use the spacedock to deploy shuttles that have a longer range for other missions.

What about this: If they want to stop the foam from coming off the external fuel tank, then they should incorporate the external tank into the shuttle and eliminate it (the foam-covered external tank) from use.

They need to get outside the box and start looking at all the options if they want to save the troubled shuttle program.