Speaking of Burt Rutan

Space.com is featuring an interesting article titled, Private Supply Ships Vital for Space Vision, NASA Chief Says, which quotes NASA chief Michael Griffin stating that private industry is becoming critical to the future of NASA. "“It will not be government business as usual. We want to be able to buy these services from American industry.”

Consequently, Burt Rutan's Scaled Composites has formed a partnership with t/Space to help develop a new spaceship capable of orbit and space station docking.

Even if NASA doesn't use the rocket, they are funding initial development and aspects of the project already being tested. Regardless of NASA, the company will also explore other commercial uses for the spaceship.

Ultimately, the real race into space is only just beginning. For those of us saddened and disappointed with the decline of the U.S. space program, much better days are coming soon!