Easterbrook does a lot of "armchair quarterbacking" in this article. If he had been around during the 1960s (I guess he was), I am sure he would have been throwing cold water on Apollo--perhaps even more so. How would Easterbrook have responded to von Braun explaining the Saturn V generating 7.5 million pounds of thrust when the biggest rocket we had was the Saturn I? No doubt his response would be the same. A true naysayer.

NASA needed presidential redirection and we finally got with George Bush. The approach being taken is pragmatic, but I am not sure Constellation will be ready for its first test launch in four years--that's a stretch. Still, we will have the Delta IV Heavy to get it up there.

These are exciting times for renewed space exploration. We need to support the current administration and NASA to make sure this time it becomes a reality.

I guess if we really want to get the CEV built faster than we are currently time lined at. Then we must entise both lockheed and boeing into a little commecial one upmanship for who can deliver a completed man rated vehicle the fastest. Then we would get to use both designs giving us the ability to select vehicle based on destination. Like you noted it does not neccessarily need to be a completely new rocket just adapt it for use with what we already have.

Harold: Maybe offering a big prize might do the thing. Something like the following:

NASA offers a prize of US$100 million to the first team that:
- entirely with private funds
- from one of the 50 US states or Puerto Rico
- with a single reusable spacecraft
- deliver a 4 ton payload to a stable 225 km orbit at least twice within 30 days
- and also launches and returns to earth twice in 30 days at least 6 (dummy) passengers at once weighing at least 180 lbs each
- The prize is offered from 1-1-2008 until 31-12-2017 and is tax free.
- Companies building space launch vehicles for the government are banned from competing.

Of course, if something this wild is done some politician is bound to start grandstanding about wasting money, encouraging terrorism or similar irrelevant drivel. Said politician might not realize that compared to using a shuttle, $100 million for 8 tons and 12 passengers in orbit with an RLV isn't bad at all.

Commentary is welcome.

I agree that there must be some incentive for private industry to get involved. Since the developement cost are so high initially. With only long term revenue if any seen, though some projects can have global effects on all facets of life.

Easterbrook is just another clown. Consider the source, The New Republic, a leftist-liberal rag with inferior writing.

The recent drive toward private space transportation can only enhance the abilities of the overall space effort. Lessons learned in the private sector will most surely be transferred to the development of the larger space programs. Costs will be larger than proposed, but will be better contained as the emerging private space industry continues to grow. this will be a win-win for both development efforts. Easterbrook and others like him will always be anti-attempt when it comes to the space arena. Some things are worth spending time and money on.