Another private group is helping mankind make more steps toward the cosmos--they've launched the first 100% privately funded rocket into space.
Not a dime of government investment anywhere in it.
Although the vehicle is not reusable, the fact that we're getting sophisticated enough that private enterprise can do this, and do it affordably, tells me that my dreams as a young man were not entirely pointless. Ever since I was in my late teens I've always felt a vague sense of betrayal: I figured by the time I was in my 30s we'd have permanent orbiting space stations that you could buy tickets to visit, that there'd be a permanent moon colony by now, that we'd have been on our way to Mars if not there already, and so on.
Well, it's foolish to expect government to do that, and I'm excited to see that we no longer have to expect that. So-called "amateurs" have just launched a rocket into space for real (they exceeded 100 kilometers elevation), and someone is expected to claim the X-Prize some time this year. My bet's on Burt Rutan but he's not the only one in the running.
Man it's nice to see progress in space again.
I also have no doubt that they'll eventually succeed. Heck, you could even have a rocketeer in your own back yard .
Ha! A rocketry widow!
I should have known. :-)
Now where might a photo of Mrs. Emery be found?
That's Dr. Emery, bucko! I'm no Mrs.DuToit ;-)
All kidding aside, he used to have a link of a pic of the family under "Other interests" (that title in itself probably indicates the need of some type of family therapy). I was careful to make sure that wasn't on there before I linked to it.
After all, no woman can match the Victoria's Secret pic with of Rosemary with the gun.
Dean,
Not just privately funded, but amateur! (There are many professional private rocket companies, but I'm not sure how much government funding they've latched onto.)
Yours,
Wince
This is exciting news. I'm like you Dean and thought we would be able to buy tickets to visit the Moon by now. Oh my how my son would get so excited over anything to do with space travel. When I took him to the Planterium in Chicago, niether one of us could hardly contain ourselves with great excitement! We spent hours there talking and dreaming about how we would soon be able to go visit other planets together with him being the pilot!
The really remarkable thing is that, with all the homeland security changes post 9/11, these guys can even launch at all. These "amateurs" have not only spent tens of thousands of dollars on rocket fuel alone, just to get this rocket up- but they and others of their ilk spent quite a lot of time and money trying to educate Congress and the BATF that rocket propellent is not explosive and rockets can't be made into guided missile systems.
Otherwise, this "sport" may never have gotten off the ground. Literally and figuratively. No more "October Skies" dreamers who later become astronauts and engineers (or already are!).
RE: " the fact that we're getting sophisticated enough that private enterprise can do this, and do it affordably, tells me that my dreams as a young man were not entirely pointless."
Ok, but when is technology going to fulfill my "young man" dreams? Namely, the threesome with hot farm girls and Italian sportscar? let's get big business working on that ...
This is high and noble.
Unfortunately, this is also means that in the future we are going to see privately funded ballistic missiles developed.
given half a chance, american enterprise will always pursue dreams and the truth.... clearly that this is happening now speaks to bush's ability to change the economy in a positive way. after all, this isn't cheap.
but then.....
keeping promises we make to others isn't always easy... so we shouldn't make promises we either don't intend to keep or can't.....
thinking of someone who made me a promise.....
Just a quick correction:
The GoFast rocket's claim to fame is the first *amateur* rocket to venture into space,
but it is not the first privately funded rocket to do so. There have been three previous
launch vehicles developed entirely with private money: Orbital Science's Pegasus,
McDonnell Douglas's Delta III, and Boeing's Delta IV Medium*. Pegasus and Delta IV-M
have since launched government payloads on a commercial basis. Delta III never had
any government dollars anywhere in the program.
Also, Orbital's Taurus, Lockheed's Atlas III and Atlas V, and Boeing's Sea Launch (actually
an international consortium) all have substantial private investment in them (to the tune
of 40% or more).
*The Delta IV was Boeing's entry into the DoD's EELV program, and it received a
$500 million subsidy to develop the Delta IV Heavy, which is essentially three Delta IV-M's
strapped together side by side by side.
Mike
Sure feels good, doesn't it...
Hilton Luna, here we come!