I could not help but think of Ray upon seeing this news piece:

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=bba_1264267430&c=1

Here's a rocket engine that burns as hot as the sun (Rocket Summer)is small enough to power "a small family rocket" (The Million-Year Picnic) and, in keeping with the time-lines of Ray's Martian stories, could propel a rocket to Mars in a mere 39 days!
Even the fact that such a ship will still be referred to as a "rocket"... Ray's nostalgic poetry turning out to be prescient?
(Does my heart good to see this coming out of my country.)