"No US manned launch capability"

[Miss Chicken]

McGyver could do it with only some elastic bands, fewof popsicle sticks and a couple of other things.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

Maybe the US can resurrect the Sea Dragon concept as a heavy lift vehicle -- 550 metric tons into LEO "no problem".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_Dragon_(rocket)

I bet that sucker's launch would be impressive. Not terribly environmentally friendly, though.

 

[Lindley]

Seems like a sound concept. And if it's only burning liquid oxygen on initial launch, then the only environmental consequences would be in the immediate blast radius; probably acceptable.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

Seems like a sound concept. And if it's only burning liquid oxygen on initial launch, then the only environmental consequences would be in the immediate blast radius; probably acceptable.

LOX and RP-1, which I guess makes it far from a candidate for being Carbon neutral unless you plant several square miles of trees.