I very seriously doubt it ever will. They will spend billions developing it, then if congress or a future president doesn’t cancel it the NASA bureaucrats will decide they have insufficient funding to complete it and cancel it themselves.
NASA is only interested in spending money, putting people in space is too risky for them.
I hear what you’re saying.
Had a meeting several months ago which included a NASA PhD (more a DC NASA bureaucrat, than engineer). While listening to the details of his project, I thought it was interesting, would further aviation, and would be something that could be done in a few years with the help of industry. His closing comments included,”..but I don’t expect this to be done in the next 10 or even twenty years, (laughs).” What the !? Apply yourself and accomplish something instead of looking for cash cows!
I want to be gung-ho about SLS. Let’s get America back launching into space. We should be the leader there. As it is, I fear we’ll share the same fate as Portugal did in the age of sail: fantastic out of the gate, but bested by other powers in the long run.