In an op-ed published July 27, 2009, in Space News ["Changing to Renewable Space Transportation," page 19], I asked, "Why, in this era of change and emphasis on renewable and reusable resources, is NASA investing its future space transportation development on ancient and wasteful concepts - throwaway rocket systems." It was suggested that rather than continuing with the Ares program, which would only modernize Apollo-era concepts, NASA should focus on moving the U.S. commercial and civil space activities forward by developing 21st-century technology for reusable space transportation systems. This focus would resolve the key problems inhibiting space growth - lack of safe, routine flights that can lower the cost of traveling to and from space and increase the commercial use of space for business and pleasure.
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