[OldDeckHand]

That's kind of interesting, and unexpected from him. He may just not want the government money fueled competition, especially considering he's so far ahead of everyone else. Perhaps is reasoning is something less competitive. Whatever it is, he didn't elaborate, did he?

[higgmeister]

That's kind of interesting, and unexpected from him. He may just not want the government money fueled competition, especially considering he's so far ahead of everyone else. Perhaps is reasoning is something less competitive. Whatever it is, he didn't elaborate, did he?

It is clear to me that it was a hell of an effort getting to an aircraft assisted ballistic boost to reach a 70 mile apogee and uncontrolled fall back to Earth like a shuttlecock. Burt Rutan knows it is a tremendous difference from his great success to a multistaged 300 mile apogee orbital launch with controlled reentry.