All bets are off now...

[daveon]

Now this is pretty interesting.

If true it could mean some interesting things and a larger market might open up.  The question is if this a paper plain and if EADS actually have a plan moving on from this.  As has often been remarked, at least by me, there are no easy routes from sub-orbital to orbital.  But this means that there's some serious cash at last, with some proper backing - not just the "internet rocketeers" as some call them.