From: Tony Williams 

Phil Payne wrote:
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5277736.stm
>
> Surprisingly few changes after forty years.
>

The more I read about NASA's plans the more I think they're going to be
overtaken by some small nation or private company using one of the more
off-the-wall ideas that NASA didn't pursue. They're so invested in the big
rocket idea that they're missing cheaper alternatives like using a
balloon-hoisted platform to launch a smaller rocket from altitude.

The trouble is that developing new types of launch systems requires taking
risks and NASA can't/won't do that. A private consortium working with, say,
the Indonesian government on the other hand would have more freedom to try
out new ideas.

--
Tony

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