>>64090261
I feel you, bro. Real answer is that if HW Bush had just kept Reagan's space policy we would have had NASP and NLS instead of decades of thrashing around in Von Braun's plans without really going anywhere. Not discounting the ISS but Bush Sr's kitchen sink plan really screwed us for both space development and national security advances. SpaceX, finally, takes up that slack.
>>64090266
>some of the stuff that was done in the 90's would "never be made public"
I get it for stealth and other airframe related work but there is a ton of fundamental and applied research in other fields that should be declassified and commercialized.
>SR-72
It seems like work has continued on this. I think it's related to trying to really revolutionize combat aircraft with something space capable. Lockmart is/was working on compact linear fusion reactors based off a PhD's fusion drive research.
So, build out a plane capable of truly going fast using an advanced scramjet -- then when you've ironed out the kinks you slap a fusion drive in it and have a Battletech-style aerospace fighter capable of making orbit, reentry and having a mix of beam and missile weapons, drones and satellite inspection units.