Secretive Blue Origin Reveals New Details of Spacecraft Plans

On 5/9/2012 1:54 AM, Mike DiCenso wrote:
On May 7, 1:47 pm, Jochem wrote:
Jeff writes:
Here's hoping the CFD and wind tunnel tests were good enough to vet any
problems in the hypersonic regime.

It's funny: I think we never had so much spacecraft diversity, now that
NASA more less bailed out.


NASA hasn't "bailed out". If it wasn't for NASA, none of this would be
happening right now. If it weren't for NASA's COTS support, we would
be crossing our fingers while SpaceX still struggled with a finicky
Falcon 1.
-Mike

I agree with this last point. Unfortunately, I also have to agree with Jeff's point, Congress through simple appropriation
're-direction' could change this policy in a political "heartbeat". A worthy follow-up question, how much more COTS funding is
needed before SpaceX et al can tell NASA it doesn't need their money any more? This would be a great corporate "trade-secret" for
SpaceX to guard cautiously. It's their one true version of the equivalent of the formula for Coca-Cola syrup... Their survival (and
New Space in general) may ultimately depend upon their knowing that figure before Congress-critters can figure it out.

Dave