The Speculist

Congratulations to the SpaceShipOne team!

But before we start waxing rhapsodic about the vitality and innovation of the private sector and confused, wasteful befuddlement of big government, let's remember that they have a long way to go. It's a big jump from a suborbital joyride for well-heeled tourists to the massive investment needed for a mature space elevator network.

Not running the private sector down, just saying that NASA, JPL, RKA and ESA aren't closing up shop anytime soon. Too much abstract research that still needs to be done.

Mr. F. -

I promise I will never, ever wax rhapsodic about the confused, wasteful befuddlement of big government. :-)

Interesting to note that Rutan himself has issued a number of "curb your enthusiasm" type statements since Monday's flight. No question about it, we have a long way to go. But as of last Monday morning, we're closer.

And technically speaking, if we are counting sucessful flights into some sort of tally, it's not really "SpaceShipOne, Government Zero."

It's more accurate to say, "SpaceShipOne, Government [some large number in the tens of thousands.]" (Counting all the sucessfully launched space probes, military satellites, extreme aeronautics experiments, crewed flights, etc. etc. since Sputnik, the V2, Robert Goddard or whoever. We have to remember the government did a roughly equivalent thing as SpaceShipOne with the X-15 back in 1959.)

Although to be fair, I supposed I should also count all the attempts, whether successful or not, made by Robert Traux and other private space industrialists. I should also note that many communications, prospecting and weather satellites are made by private concerns now. Not to mention sounding rockets and other privately built and funded boosters.

I guess that point I am trying to make is that the catch phrase "SpaceShipOne, Government Zero." hides a much more complex picture.

Still, it's cool that private companies are getting better at this! I know that one day, when human space flight and colonization is as common and boring as commercial trucking is today, the private sector will be there.

Ever the foil,

Mr. ("Curb your enthusiasm") Farlops