Looks like small space planes may be the wave of the future for both the military (the unmanned X-37B) as well as commercial space transportation.

Orbital’s proposed space vehicle for NASA’s Commercial Crew Development-2 program is depicted in rendezvous and berthing operations with the International Space Station. (AP Photo)

We already know that the Chinese are working on their own projects, like the so-called Shenlong (Divine Dragon) project photographed in 2007.