Blast off
May 23, 2012, 11:50 PM | Updated: Jun 5, 2012, 3:27 am
Capitalism really got off the ground yesterday — the
Space X Falcon 9 rocket blasted off Tuesday morning.
As the first privately-financed commercial space vehicle
intended to rendezvous with the International Space
Station on Friday, this is free enterprise in space.
This rocket, carrying a 1,404-pound cargo of food and
other necessities for the six astronauts on board the
space station, has the capability of beginning a whole new
chapter in exploration.
Why is this so different? The government’s not involved.
It’s people whose motivation is to make a profit by making
things better than you can when you’ve been saddled by
bureaucracy.
NASA will be offering it’s experience for the maneuvering,
but the equipment, the engineering, the science is all as
a result of business people getting together in this
country and deciding not to lose this space race to Russia
and it’s Soyuz program.
By the way, there is one addition to the cargo that will
remain in space: the ashes of “Star Trek” actor James
Dookan. Yes, Scotty finally got beamed up.
I’m Pat McMahon.
