Next-generation launchers: Only the tried and true need apply

Companies find that some elements of the recipe for success have been handed down for generations.

When asked how NASA's underdevelopment Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV) can be both “proven” and “cutting edge” at the same time, as it is described in NASA press materials, one official responded: “Cutting edge is in the eye of the beholder.”

Cutting edge is fine for other segments of aerospace technology development, but when it comes to space, the watchwords are “experienced,” “legacy,” and “track record,” defining factors for the launcher that NASA expects to take the nation back to the moon and on to Mars.