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.