Also I think part of the problem is that governments (and business) very often approach an agency or contractor and ask them to produce a design. We know in the software world that big design up front almost guarantees failure as the initial design is invariable flawed.
The agency, contractor or multiple contractors should be asked to produce a number of prototypes over a period of time. What design of reusable spacecraft is the most effective, safe and economical? Who knows? No one has ever done this before! Let's design a process to find out. We shouldn't just punt and cross our fingers.
The common counter argument is that this approach is too expensive but in practice experience shows it's much more expensive not to.
The agency, contractor or multiple contractors should be asked to produce a number of prototypes over a period of time. What design of reusable spacecraft is the most effective, safe and economical? Who knows? No one has ever done this before! Let's design a process to find out. We shouldn't just punt and cross our fingers.
The common counter argument is that this approach is too expensive but in practice experience shows it's much more expensive not to.