Re: Nice idea
I agree; ten years ago this might have seemed like a great advance, but now that SpaceX has demonstrated a reusable first stage it just seems like a blast (off) from the past.
NASA needs to focus its budget on the technologies that aren't being developed by the private space industry and get the basis of true interplanetary vehicles worked out; the main theme has to be low-thrust, long-duration engines with high specific impulse.
NASA's, and others, experience with the ISS has given them a lot of information about living in space for extended periods, but they need to reduce the time take to travel interplanetary distances before manned exploration can really be practical.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
