Space plane may be fantasy

Earlier, when I was waxing enthusiatic about space and our prospects for reaching it, I mentioned a secret government space plane (the articles refer to it as Blackstar). I was relieved that a secret space plane might actually exist, even as the Space Shuttle program seems to be winding down this decade. Speculation about this space plane was picked up by BoingBoing and appears to be debunked in the Space Review.

In summary: The secret pace plane that I didn't believe our government would have as a backup to the Space Shuttle program might have actually existed, but now even that speculation is debunked. To get to space as civilians, this leaves us depending on private companies and their race to space, and maybe the space elevator after all.

tags: science, space, Science Fiction