Re:*cough* (Score 2, Funny)

You're right, you'd be a fool to just jump in some contractor's shuttle. Congress would be foolish to just provide funding up front as well. Let some group of people design, build, and test their own equipment. If they get this far, have them apply to Congress for government incentives. I'd say the key is to let the contractors take the financial risks so that once a sound design materializes, Congress can step in and support that instead of paying for R&D right away. Both Congress and the contractors should have experts on hand to examine the craft as well. Taxpayer money goes to the brightest folks, who only get incentives based on the job that they do.