Private Rockets in Space

It looks like the private company SpaceX will be launching a capsule into orbit soon.  There have been successful tests of the engines and all systems are go - for now.  SpaceX is owned by the same guy that owns Paypal.  Yes, Elon Musk is filthy rich.  I am a Paypal fan and so kudos to him.  SpaceX has a contract with NASA to send supplies to the space station for around $1.6 billion.  Supposedly cheaper than NASA doing it themselves.

I wonder if the company sells advertizing space on the side of the rocket like NASCAR.  It would be smart to do that, and it could help off-set the costs of operation.  I do not know how the company got the contract - but it does not surprise me that the CEO of the Tesla car company has a space contract with NASA with the current administration.

Good luck to SpaceX and may you have a lot of competition soon.


UPDATE:
The spacecraft successfully lifted off at 10:43 EST on 8 Dec 2010.

Remember to Stay Safe!

Congress is Trying to Save NASA (From the President)

I believe we all know what Obama wants from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.  He wants it to be an outreach to the Muslim world - whatever that means.  The space agency's Administrator, Charles Bolden, recently said that the "foremost" mission of our space agency was to make Muslims feel good about their "scientific and mathematical contributions" they did hundreds of years ago.  Bolden even went to Cairo promoting this nonsense, following up on Obama’s speech around a year ago catering to the Muslim world.This is how NASA would effect our country under Obama's plan:

However, in an unlikely move, Congress has at least started to do the right thing.  Yes, it is even a bi-partisan move to un-do the stupidity of the Obama Administration.  For a guy that is supposed to be really smart, President Obama has done more lame-brain things than almost any national leader, including his buddy from Venezuela.  This is what we are supposed to hear from our kids:

Maybe, just maybe there is still hope for NASA.  I am hoping so for our future generations, as NASA has made many contributions and has inspired many scientists and astronauts.