Only one person on Earth, Phil Plait, is happier than me at this moment.
The time of SERIOUS commercial exploitation of Space has officially begun, with the FIRST launch of SpaceX's workhorse rocket Falcon 9 at Cape Canaveral, between 2 and 3 pm EDT, today.
I am VERY damn happy and proud to be an American today. South Africans have equal reason to be proud. At the end of the day, the pride will belong to all of Humanity (but we were first).
Thank you, Elon Musk.
Here's hoping Stephen Hawking lives long enough to see the first Lunar Colony established. Today was a very important step.
Props to the good people of SpaceX.
Job well done.
Hi Steven,
ReplyDeleteAs like you I`m very happy to see this day as it marks the time when space is no longer the sole domain of governments, yet more broadly accessible. However for a time it will still be restricted to those who can afford it and thus it it is equally likely serve to put in orbit the largest and most unavoidable bill board as it is to have us to colonize other worlds:-)
Best,
Phil
Hi Steven,
ReplyDeleteI noticed that it may be this rocket as being the vehicle used to take the NASA astronauts to the space station in the near future. I wonder if Spacex will consider Paypale as the only accepted method of payment for a flight:-) As perhaps a marketing and capitulation idea Spacex should hold a lottery that would have the winner awarded a trip to the space station. I`ll tell you one thing I would buy more than a few tickets as such a journey would represent being more valuable than any monetary one, as proving a chance to have come true the greatest of my dreams.
Best,
Phil
Hi Steven,
ReplyDeleteIt is also interesting that this was not accomplished by a long standing aerospace company, yet rather by a fledgling enterprise which has it more representative of the American dream. I can only pray that your countryman are inspired as much as you by this to be find reason for hope, as I feel that our cousins to the south really could use a boost in confidence now more than ever before. Oh by the way, I would recommend you stop waiting for that foreign company to come up with a way to plug that pipe at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico and tender it out to those that find more then fear of failure as reason to succeed.
Best,
Phil
Hi Phil,
ReplyDeleteSorry not to get back earlier, but my new soon-to-be-old temp job as a Census Enumerator is taxing me in multiple ways, doubly so when one factors in the intense humidity of the last few days, so I have precious little time for math, physics, or anything else.
Back on topic: Yeah, the launch of Falcon 9 is significant, especially given all the stupid political games being played in Washington using but not limited to a bevy of long-retired astronauts speaking on behalf of both sides; astronauts from the glorious Apollo era that many of us had almost forgotten existed. Sort of charter members of the "People You Thought Were Dead, But Aren't" category, like Freeman Dyson and John Nash.
The significance of F9's maiden launch is that unlike the Falcon 1, Commercial spaceflight has produced a serious rocket, one whose size is comparable to the workhorse Atlas rocket.
One criticism of this flight is that Commercial spaceflight has achieved what NASA achieved .... in 1964.
?!
Party poopers.
In the long run, I do suppose Business runs more efficiently than Government, the profit incentive being what it is and all, so I may come around to seeing it Obama and Aldrin and Schweickart's way, rather than Armstrong and Lovell and Cernan's way.
Not sure. I guess you could say my opinion in this regard is currently "on hold".
:-)
As far as the bloody oil spill goes, how much MORE can the British show embarrassment? It reminds of that line spoken by actor Billy Zane as Cal Hockley in the film: Titanic, when he said:
"Bloody English, doing everything by the book!"
Hi Steven,
ReplyDeleteI think it should be noted that unlike the general publics perception the space race was not entirely inspired by altruistic thinking, yet first and foremost as a reaction to the USSR’s launch of Sputnik that made it clear the Soviets had the capability to deliver a nuclear warhead to any place on the planet. There was also the fear that America would fall behind in the exploitation of space for commercial purposes.
Actually I see this transition no different than when Columbus has Spain provide the resources to cross the ocean with the promise of new riches and land, to where later on independant enterprise took over after it was proven to be profitable. The bottom line for business is the bottom line and risk assessment being always a large consideration in such regard. So I wouldn’t say either Obama’s or Armstrong’s position is right or wrong, rather they each have their time and place. Where I have difficulty with Obama is that he at best can only see to the horizon, while unable to offer a clear vision as to what lies beyond. That’s to say he is certainly not the second coming of a Jefferson or JFK.
Oh yes as to you busyness with the census I noted that a large part of the recent increase in the U.S, employment figures were largely attributed to this. Let’s hope ventures like those of SpaceX will have there to be more long term and fruitful opportunities present themselves soon. Yourself excluded of course, yet I’m wondering how many of your countrymen can even see, let alone are capable to take advantage of them
Best,
Phil
Ah, the Cold War between the USA and USSR. I haven't thought about that for a while, thanks. I was a bit of an expert on the subject at the time. Then Gorbachev and Yeltsin and particularly: Lech Walesa went and settled it in favor of the Capitalist "West" seemingly overnight, and there went all those notes of mine into the attic. :-)
ReplyDeleteAlso, it wasn't all THAT cold. Vietnam, remember? Napalm. Helicopters. Rubber, tin, and manganese.
But North Korea remains! So it's not over yet, not completely.
Phil, I think you know me well enough by now that I really don't care who exploits space the most. I suppose it's a shock to my system it won't be America, Elon Musk or not. Maybe the UK via Richard Branson? Maybe China. Or India, a nation that is very much a work in progress, but all the indications are positive. Maybe Japan, or Europe, or your own Canada. Maybe Brazil. Probably not Iceland.
First and foremost though, we need a Lunar Colony. Then more Lunar colonies. Then Mercury Colony, then Asteroid Belt mining. Mars can wait.
I believe these will come to pass, just not in our lifetime, which would have surprised me back in 1969 when Neil first set foot upon the moon. I was certain then that we'd have space hotels by 2010, if not 2000, and that men of our generation would see the first lunar colony up and running in our old age. It sure didn't work out that way. Oh well.
Long story short: Humanity has since turned inward, not outward.
Look at us! Here we are sitting down inside a man-made cave looking at a computer screen, when our ancestor' natural bent was to be outside, moving around. We've sacrificed adventure for safety. I make no further comment on that except that's just the way it is.