In article , Vincent
Cate wrote:

What technology is new?

You seen another airplane that bends in the middle so it is stable
during atmospheric reentry?

Well, there was an early Shuttle design which had the entire wing
section slide forward ten or fifteen feet during entry... g

Seen another nitrous-oxide/rubber hybrid engine with fiber optics wound
into the casing to detect if the case is burning through and shut
off the engine?

I must admit, I hadn't heard of that; it is rather smart. Is this done
on anything else made by similar methods?

--
-Andrew Gray