The latest missile defense update by Congressional Research Service analysts calls the development and deployment of missile defense both “elusive” and “divisive.” Among topics highlighted in the report: how the Bush Administration “sharply altered” the debate; why the Administration asserts the US deterrence theory is passé; why critics maintain the technology remains immature, and the whole thing is a “budget-buster.”
NASA, SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance are all preparing to launch their next-gen rockets from Florida’s Space Coast, two of them before the year is out. One is expected to liberate the U.S. launch enterprise from its reliance on Russian-made RD-180 engines, while all three rockets could eventually carry astronaut crews.