"Jose" wrote in message
m...
better than chemical rocket engines to power it. Instead we should have
(and should now) use expendable rockets to put stuff into orbit, and a
space station based fleet of mini-shuttles to do stuff with them once the
heavy lifting is done. Another fleet of mini-shuttles would be used to
carry people up and down - they would be the size of a lear jet and have
enough payload capability for six people and little else.

But the focus of our space program should be going to Mars and onward.

Because it's there.

Jose

Funny you should say that. There is a company in Oklahoma that plans on
taking a stripped Lear 25 fuselage, bolting it to a basic wing, adding
turbofan engines and a re-useable rocket engine. Take-off and climb to
30,000 feet of the turbofans, light the rocket and climb to 158,000 feet,
then coast to about 330,000 feet before gliding back to earth. All in a half
hour flight. www.rocketplane.com

Allen