vthokie wrote:

Rather than developing a new Apollo-style capsule to be launched on an
expendable rocket, I think the United States should develop a fully
reusable human-rated launch system that will significantly lower the
cost and risk associated with spaceflight. Anything else seems
fiscally irresponsible. Perhaps the goals stated during the ill-fated
X-33/VentureStar program were overly ambitious (reducing launch costs
by a factor of 10), but it seems to me that we should certainly be
able to do better than what's currently being proposed.

It wasn't the goal that was overly ambitious, it was the means - SSTO.
A factor of ten reduction is readilly obtainable with a 2-stage,
fully-reusable design, it it's designed right (simple, reliable,
maintainable, reasonable size).

I'd love to see humans return to the moon and eventually travel to
Mars and beyond. But the first step we need to take is to develop a
safer, more cost effective means of reaching orbit.

If I had to chose one or the other to work on over the next 10-15 years,
I wouldn't hesitate to chose the later.

On-orbit assembly
of lunar or interplanetary craft will become much easier once we have
a "VentureStar" type vehicle capable of sustaining high flight rates.
(I'm not necessarily saying it needs to be a lifting body SSTO
vehicle, but rather that the concept of a fully resuable space plane
has merit.)

Full reusability is essential, but at this point, the goal of simplicity
and reliability would be better served by a 2-stage, VTOL design. I
don't consider VTHL to be practical at all (the Shuttle experience is
certainly not encouraging).

Also, while I'm certainly a proponent of space exploration, there are
other programs that I think might have more relevance to American
citizens, and therefore might be easier to sell. I'd love to see the
United States commit itself to developing a new, commercially viable
SST. That's something that I and every other American could actually
use! It seems sad that 30 years ago, commercial aviation saw the dawn
of supersonic flight with the Concorde (and briefly, the Tu-144), and
now as we enter a new century, commercial supersonic flight is dead.
The only things on the drawing board are slightly bigger or more
efficient versions of the same Mach 0.85 airframes that my parents
flew on.

Another initiative that I think would benefit citizens more than
Bush's space plan would be a national commitment to develop a high
speed rail network. America's long neglected passenger rail system
has fallen far behind the rest of the industrialized world, and with
the exception of Amtrak's 150 mph Acela Express in the northeast, the
United States doesn't even have any rail service that could be
considered "high speed". Numerous trains in Europe and Japan
routinely operate at up to 300 km/hr (186 mph), and speeds of greater
than 200 mph are planned. Maglev technology is likely to push speeds
to 300 mph or more! I'd certainly like to see the United States take
a leadership role in the industry.