Schmidt et al. [1] are to be congratulated for their thoughtful and comprehensive analysis of the so-called 'Flexible Path' approach to future space exploration - one of the alternatives identified by the Augustine Commission's inquiry into the future of US human spaceflight activities [2]. There is little doubt that such an approach would, if steadily and systematically pursued over the coming decades, result in the development of a human spaceflight infrastructure which would facilitate both the scientific exploration, and the economic utilization, of the Solar System later in the 21st century. The authors make a compelling case that Flexible Path is the most realistic route to achieving this desirable objective, and I found myself in agreement with much of what they had to say.
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