Kistler Aerospace and Space Access, two of Lockheed's rivals, are also developing reusable spacecraft and are shopping around for launch sites.

ECONOMIST: The space industry

Beginning in the 1940s Kistler helped create some commercial uses for aerogels, including an insecticide and a thickening agent for paint.

FORBES: Magazine Article

In 1931 American chemical engineer Samuel Kistler invented the lightest known solid--an aerogel--by drying a form of silicon dioxide (a raw material for glass) under intense pressure and high temperature.

FORBES: Magazine Article

When he was having trouble landing an internship, back in 2008, he discovered that a Google search on his name produced a Pete Kistler who was a convicted drug dealer.

FORBES: 6 Steps To Managing Your Online Reputation