You're dead right. The major hurdle isn't the technology, it's purely funding. We already have technology far more advanced than the Saturn V, the VentureStar for example could be built using 90's technology, and they were halfway done with a scale model when the project was canned. This was a fully reusable SSTO that would bring down the cost per pound to orbit by a factor of 10.
I think NASA needs to concentrate on its PR front. Tax payers simply don't see the economic benefit that comes from spending money on space exploration, most see it as a waste. Compare this to defence, tax breaks, or national security which are black holes of money.
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You're dead right. The major hurdle isn't the technology, it's purely funding. We already have technology far more advanced than the Saturn V, the VentureStar for example could be built using 90's technology, and they were halfway done with a scale model when the project was canned. This was a fully reusable SSTO that would bring down the cost per pound to orbit by a factor of 10.
I think NASA needs to concentrate on its PR front. Tax payers simply don't see the economic benefit that comes from spending money on space exploration, most see it as a waste. Compare this to defence, tax breaks, or national security which are black holes of money.