[aSkeptic]

What should be done now is focus on the NEXT-GENERATION fully recoverable earth-to-LEO system, built using today's technology--not a retreat to 1960's technology.

You might find this link of interest to you. There you will find out about the x-33 and venturestar SSTO system. SSTO means "single stage to orbit".

SSTO sounds really awesome at first. But I am skeptical of their possibility, at least in the way it was presented by venturestar. Delta-V is an important measure of a rocket's performance. By plugging in numbers from this link, to this link, it can be deduced that x-33 is a flop in theory. You should find that x-33 is lacking over 1000 seconds of Isp to even be possible. Sadly, no chemical engine exists (theoretical or actual) that could do what nasa wanted x-33 to do. The only known way to acomplish SSTO with large payloads is with a thermal atomic engine like NERVA (but better and more powerful of course).

BTW, x-33's engines were rated at 450 Isp.. quite nominal for a LOX LOH engine.

[WestPacSailor]

The only known way to acomplish SSTO with large payloads is with a thermal atomic engine like NERVA

Or a REALLY BIG RUBBER BAND!