[NormsRevenge]

I’d love to see a surface to orbit vehicle utilizing a different launch method that didn’t take so much work prepping and such. The problem will be one of payload.

RamJets, ScramJets come to mind.

with budgets limited as they have been for years tho, I don’t see a lot of change on the horizon.

[DoughtyOne]

I’d love to see a surface to orbit vehicle utilizing a different launch method that didn’t take so much work prepping and such. The problem will be one of payload.

RamJets, ScramJets come to mind.

I'm a big supporter of the SSTO concept.  When I mention this, I generally get considerable criticism as if I were supporting the existence of UFOs or something.

My perception is that we benefit the most, when we push the limits the most.  Would SSTO be an insurmountable task?  I'm not convinced of that at all.  I'm certainly in no position to state that it is definately attainable though.

Whatever the concept that we finalize on, whether it involved drop craft or an SSTO, our nation is advanced the most by making this happen.

I personally believe our global standing is as contingent upon our success at this right now, as it is on the viability of the current armed services.

This is something we need to make happen.  And now is the time.  The next decade will see challenges in space.  Are we going to be able to meet those challenges, or are we going to opt to be a has-been nation?

with budgets limited as they have been for years tho, I don’t see a lot of change on the horizon.

We will always have money to spend on things we want to spend money on.  When we consider the overall cost of the space program over the last 50 years, it amounts to a very paultry sum.