[VladRussian]

so Concorde and SR71 is "a giant money pit fed from government slush funds for decades, punctuated only by occasional lethal consequences for its passengers and bystanders. (Not to mention that it was a technological cul-de-sac.) " ? How about X15 or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wan_Hu ?

Nah, man, you're not a romantic, and nobody would name a Moon crater after you... well, except of course the case when you make a sh!tload of money off the Pong and buy the honor.