You _can_ use the GNU Autotools on Windows, though you need a shell installed (and a vaguely sane POSIX environment). CMake does a good job targeting a bunch of environments, including Windows.
True, but they're one of a few investigating new ways of launching rockets without having to go through the thick lower atmosphere and from stationary. Everything they're learning could be used to build a launch system that drops rockets from very high in the atmosphere -- imagine how much more efficient they'll be.