wrote:
This vehicle will land on a runway like the shuttle, right? I wish NASA
would go this route--a scaled-down version of the shuttle--rather than
go backwards to Apollo.


NASA is actually working with SpaceDev to develop a small HL-20-derived
space plane as one of the COTS program proposals:

http://www.spacedev.com/newsite/temp...le.php?pid=542

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commerc...ation_Services


The Dream Chaser will either carry up to six astronauts to ISS, or
cargo. It can also potentially be used for suborbital and orbital space
tourism.
-Mike