Perhaps the most interesting comment in last week’s Senate Science Committee on Assessing Commercial Space Capabilities came when Chairman Senator Bill Nelson asked Malcolm Peterson, former NASA Comptroller whether the $6 billion that the Administration has suggested as funding to help commercial launchers human-rate their launchers could be used to accelerate development of an HLV, or heavy-lift vehicle. To say that Peterson’s response left the audience a bit speechless would be an understatement.
