But will TransOrbital still get to raise the funds now that Europe's ESA socialists are ALREADY on the way to the Moon? ESA's mission's reportedly utilizing some Ion engine technology that apparently requires a year or so to get from Earth to its Moon. Are the missions really all that different, in the eyes of potential sponsors & investors though?

The Trailblazer mission was to launch by next month, I seem to recall, and now it's not until this Summer. Meanwhile, no externally linked news coverage has appeared on TransOrbital's website since nearly a year ago. Is TransOrbital's delay at all related to Europe's socialists' deciding to compete against TransOrbital? I suppose that ESA's mission will arrive long after TransOrbital's, IF TransOrbital does indeed succeed at launching this summer though. Unfortunately TransOrbital doesn't answer the phone although admittedly neither do some of the other space start-ups.