I’m very excited about this! Commercial space flight is under way in our lifetimes…its lost on most of us how special it is to be alive in this time. Space flight! Think about how many people who’ve lived. Think about how many people didn’t even know what to think about the stars! We’re alive in an era where planetary boundries aren’t absolute. I for one find today to be a major event in my lifetime, and I’m excited about the future.
I’ve said for years the future of space exploration would be in the private sector. NASA was fueled by competition (Cold War), but now there is none. Privitization of space re-introduces competition into the space race. Now we’ll have SpaceX compete with Virgin Galactic, competing with Planetary Resources. The result of that competition: moon colonies, space hotels, Titan mining colonies, expeditions to Alpha Centauri, on and on.
Obama wants to send NASA to an asteroid, other politicians want to go to Mars. Either way, now NASA will have private companies to compete with for scientists, as well as hearts and minds. Here’s hoping that competition rekindles the spirit of the Apollo missions. I’d like to see us dominate our own solar system in my lifetime.
