[CWOJackson]

"In case missed the obvious the crew of Apollo 1 died unnecessarily in a fire during a ground test."

Were you aware that Apollo had over 2,000,000 components? Anyone of which could have caused a cathastropic failure? You really should go back and read the remarks of the other astronauts following that disaster. Considering that they were breaking new ground the whole way, being pushed by the White House to accomplish a moon landing within a fixed time frame, and were making it up (technology) as they went along...I'd say their record was pretty impressive through Apollo.

In retrospect, over forty years later Burt Rutan was only able to mimic the results of Alan Shepard's first flight.

[true_blue_texican]

In retrospect, over forty years later Burt Rutan was only able to mimic the results of Alan Shepard's first flight.

He "may" have mimicked the RESULTS but he did NOT mimick the METHOD. It is the method that Rutan is criticizing NASA for. Technology has changed so drastically since 1969 that we can attain the "old" results with far better methods; that has to translate into faster, safer, cheaper, further, more....