First how much was each project budgeted for, how much has been spent and do the math how much remains to be funneled into the SEI program. Also see what can be recycled out of these projects since it has tied up a lot of cash.

We’ve been waiting 40 years for hypersonic airbreathing launchers that in my opinion will always be more complex (expensive, unreliable) than the alternatives, existing or not. It was a mystery to me why NASA always thought that hypersonics was the next step, and perhaps Adm. Steidle felt that way too.

In today’s budgets and those we’re likely to have for the foreseeable future, the exploration initiative won’t get past the Moon without something cheaper than chemical launchers. Even just a moonbase will probably take us 20 years. Just look at how little of the space station we can afford to logistically support even now.

I’m not saying that Adm. Steidle should plan around anything other than existing launchers in the near term, but I am waiting to hear what they think they’re going to do in the long term, and I think this is something congress should want to hear too.