From: "Geo" 

"Tony Williams"  wrote in message
news:44ecb32a$1{at}w3.nls.net...

> 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.

Or maybe nasa really does know what they are doing and no matter what you
do it's still not easy to climb out of this deep gravity pit we live in?
You can climb a mountain with no ropes and no gear, doesn't mean that's the
best way to do it though..

Geo.

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