Travis Johnson writes about SpaceDev's prospects, with the loss of its COTS bid. I'm not sure he understands Rocketplane Kistler, though:

Rocketplane Kistler arguably has the design that's most like SpaceDev's DreamChaser, in that it's based on a spaceplane design somewhat like a smaller version of the current shuttle, so if there was a spot for SpaceDev on this contract I expect we have Rocketplane to blame for them not getting it. SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft is essentially a capsule that rides on the Falcon launch vehicle.

I have no idea what he's talking about here (perhaps because he has no idea what he's talking about, either). There is no resemblance whatsoever between the Shuttle, Dreamchaser or the Kistler orbital vehicle.

Well, all right, there's a superficial resemblance between Dreamchaser and the Shuttle, in that they're both vertical takeoff/horizontal landing vehicles. But neither of them look anything like the Kistler vehicle, which returns a capsule with no wings at all (via parachute, I believe). Perhaps he is confused by the Rocketplane XP (a Learjet derivative), but that has nothing to do with COTS--it's a suborbital vehicle only.

Perhaps he is confused by the Rocketplane XP (a Learjet derivative), but that has nothing to do with COTS--it's a suborbital vehicle only.

As I recall, the Rocketplane XP is what you see first when visiting the RPK website. Thus I would speculate that the reporter simply jumped to the [wrong] conclusion that RP MonsterGaraged Learjet is the Kistler orbital vehicle.

You're right of course, but spend a lot of words to bash him. Why not just state how it really is?

has anyone at Rocketplane, or Kistler for that matter, ever flown anything resembling a rocket or space vehicle ?

I don't understand the question. Neither company has as a company, but both have many employees and principals who have. For instance, Kistler was headed up by George Mueller. He was responsible for a program that put men on the moon...

George Mueller also spent a whole lot of money
without getting any components into flight service.

The entire space launch industry is very immature, full of people who learned all the wrong lessons from the Air Force and NASA and funded by organizations with all the wrong incentives.

I fully expect to see this cycle repeated again.

"George Mueller also spent a whole lot of money
without getting any components into flight service."

I suppose he could have spent no money and built nothing at all, but then we wouldn't be talking about him or the K-1.

"The entire space launch industry is very immature, full of people who learned all the wrong lessons from the Air Force and NASA and funded by organizations with all the wrong incentives."

Only one way to learn the right lessons.