Jupiter rocket eyed by space enthusiasts

ORLANDO, Fla., June 22 (UPI) -- A rocket design so far eschewed by NASA could get the United States to the moon faster than current designs and save thousands of jobs in Florida, some say.

Because the Jupiter 120 rocket could fly by 2013 for less than the projected cost of National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Ares rocket, the design is attracting a following among space engineers and enthusiasts, The Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel reported Sunday.

An unfinished internal NASA showed that Direct 2.0 was superior in cost, overall performance and work-force retention, the newspaper reported.

Edward Ellegood, a space-policy analyst at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, said the design deserves more consideration.

"If it can deliver what it claims, I think it's worth a closer look," he was quoted by the newspaper as saying.