On Wed, 26 Feb 2004, MattWriter wrote:

http://www.space.com/businesstechnol...nd_040222.html

It doesn't discuss whether the Air Force is going to devote the needed money
for all these ideas, given the massive ovverruns on existing space projects
like SBIRS and the fact that dollars for space compete with dollars for fighter
planes. If history is any guide, the answer to that question can be described
using the words "snowball" and "hell."

The U.S. Air Force's Air Vehicles Directorate is developing a Space
Operations Vehicle to serve as the reusable launch vehicle component
of the proposed Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) Military Space Plane.
The SOV integrated concept is not a specific design concept, but
rather a set of capabilities. Desired attributes for the SOV include
responsive on-demand launch, high sortie rates, short turnaround
times, and aircraft-like systems operability.

Indeed, the desire of all space cadets but knowing NASA and affordable
access to space program failures the above fantasy bring much laughter.

I see no space access technology on the horizon that's even able to
replace the dodo shuttles, just a lot of expensive paper shuffling
dreaming.

Likely it'll take a China man on the moon to stimulate US to make needed
strides to space access, like Russia did to get US to go to the moon.