Not so. The solid rocket boosters were reused, as were the three SSMEs bolted to the orbiter itself. The only part that wasn’t reusable was the external fuel ta

Not so. The solid rocket boosters were reused, as were the three SSMEs bolted to the orbiter itself. The only part that wasn’t reusable was the external fuel tank because bringing it back intact from almost orbital speeds would’ve been hilariously uneconomical. That said, refurbishing both the SRBs and the SSMEs after each use was labor-intensive and as such expensive.