[Doc On The Bay]

Probably the "Best Way" is a Hypersonic "RAMJET/SCRAMJET" currently under development, ueing the "SATURN CLONE" as the "Heavy-lift vehicle"

We get the crews up on the scramjet, & meet the "Cargo" in orbit.

Doc

[jbstrick]

"Probably the "Best Way" is a Hypersonic "RAMJET/SCRAMJET"

I think the scramjet is at least a decade away.

[ARCADIA]

"We get the crews up on the scramjet, & meet the "Cargo" in orbit."

Or, we use a sub-orbital hypersonic scramjet to boost a large orbiter and cargo load. I think that we are trying to do this on the cheap; and, while that sounds good and fine, it means that the real miles stones are pushed out and the bureaucrats are free to loaf for years to come. Much better to sink the dollars to get it done in a couple of years. Not only would the innovations be that much more timely, but it would force them to hire the kind of people who can get it done, and get it done now.