Move over NASA II -- US private commercial spaceflight

[DanS]

True, but the capsule was not common to Tsiolkovsy, Goddard, or the Nazis (they were no longer called Nazis by the time they thought these things up), as far as I know. More common to Gemini, Mercury, the Soviet R5 rocket family, etc.

There will be some totally new stuff in the near future that was not contemplated by the early folks, as far as I know. A propulsively landed capsule and reusability to name two.

[The Mad Monk]

And what is it that put America in the forefront of the nuclear nations? And what is it that will make it possible to spend 20 billion dollars of your money to put some clown on the moon? Well, it was good old American know-how, that's what. As provided by good old Americans like Dr. Wernher von Braun.

Gather round while I sing you of Wernher von Braun,
A man whose allegiance
Is ruled by expedience.
Call him a Nazi, he won't even frown.
"Ha, Nazi Schmazi," says Wernher von Braun.

Don't say that he's hypocritical,
Say rather that he's apolitical.

"Once the rockets are up, who cares where they come down?
That's not my department," says Wernher von Braun.

Some have harsh words for this man of renown,
But some think our attitude
Should be one of gratitude,
Like the widows and cripples in old London town
Who owe their large pensions to Wernher von Braun.

You too may be a big hero,
Once you've learned to count backwards to zero.
"In German oder English I know how to count down,
Und I'm learning Chinese," says Wernher von Braun.

[Dinner]

Its operation looks very familiar. :\

You want very familiar? Believe it or not there at least three old space craft designs from the 1950's through 1970's which companies want to modernize and fly again as part of the NASA push to get private companies operating space craft.

We're talking updated Orion space capsules: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CST-100
Updated Apollo craft: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orion_M...e_Crew_Vehicle
And even the old Centaur and Atlas rockets from the 50's and 60's. What was old is now new!

The Dragon is an all knew capsule but it's still just the same old space capsule with a slightly newer design. The Dream Chaser seems much newer and more interesting to me; a small shuttle like craft which launches on a multi stage rocket but lands like a plane. It at least looks cool too.

I might be biased though since I live two exits away from SpaceDev's HQ and drive past it from time to time. Still, it's amazing how many of these space start ups are based out of California though I suppose it's because the state has a long history in aerospace manufacturing so there are a ton of experienced workers & engineers here.