MSNBC - Private rocket ship breaks space barrier
For most this headline will only give a moment of conversation at America's water cooler. Many have grown bored with the notion of space travel since the landing on the Moon in July of 1969. In the wake of the Space Shuttle accidents more American’s than ever are questioning continued funding of NASA. The promises of science fiction have been slow to pay off. A payoff, I must remind which is difficult to judge within only one lifetime.
With the successful flight of SpaceShipOne into what is internationally recognized as outer space the trumpets of progress have sounded yet again. This may well be the first step toward a private sector exploration of that which exists beyond our own atmosphere. Some believe it may be another 50-100 years before we see average tourists on daily flights to space. This may be a good guess or pragmatic in the face of all the failed promises over the last 50 years. If the interest is there and the average tourist is indeed willing to pay to take a ride into orbit, it could be much sooner. Money greases the wheels of progress more than almost any factor in our culture. If the desire is there then innovation will indeed win the day and one day my kids may be vacationing in a hotel on the Moon.
In the next few days, this headline will be buried again. We’ll go back to conversations about who is to be the next president, the war on terrorism and what the fall TV lineup looks like. I for one will continue to watch as this story unfolds. SpaceShipOne still has some work to do before it can win the coveted Xprize. And after that who knows, only the future can tell. However, I’m proud to be one of the few who is still excited about the space program and I salute everyone who contributes to this grand endeavor.
