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LA rocket company maiden launch Friday
This is a big event for a small rocket.
On Friday, SpaceX, an El Segundo, California start-up, is launching its first rocket from the Ronald Reagan Test Site at Omelek in the Marshall Islands. This launch should be of at least modest interest for everyone, since it will be the cheapest ride to space worldwide, including that offered by the Russians on converted ICBMs. By paying less for space launch, we can do more cool stuff in space (and I have a long list...).
From an American patriot's perspective, it's interesting because American innovation in rocketry has almost ceased since the last days of Apollo. SpaceX's rocket has the first new American kerosene booster engines in production since the Saturn V's F1 (developed in the late 1950s). Our rocket companies are getting their heads handed to them from Russian competition, but SpaceX will beat Russia's cheapest on price. Indeed, SpaceX will only charge about 25-30% of what the other US rocket companies charge. SpaceX's rockets are made in the USA.
From a capitalist's perspective, it's interesting because this will be the first successful rocket developed entirely with private funds -- about $100 million in capital -- and is expected to be a profitable proposition. Since the days of von Braun, rocketry was the domain of governments only (the US rocket industry is more communist than what the Soviets dreamed up) and had a multi-billion dollar pricetag. But SpaceX has designed a rocket that is cheap to manufacture, fly, and reuse. This is the best that forward-thinking capitalism has to offer.
Good luck to SpaceX!
The rocket on the pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base...
On Friday, SpaceX, an El Segundo, California start-up, is launching its first rocket from the Ronald Reagan Test Site at Omelek in the Marshall Islands. This launch should be of at least modest interest for everyone, since it will be the cheapest ride to space worldwide, including that offered by the Russians on converted ICBMs. By paying less for space launch, we can do more cool stuff in space (and I have a long list...).
From an American patriot's perspective, it's interesting because American innovation in rocketry has almost ceased since the last days of Apollo. SpaceX's rocket has the first new American kerosene booster engines in production since the Saturn V's F1 (developed in the late 1950s). Our rocket companies are getting their heads handed to them from Russian competition, but SpaceX will beat Russia's cheapest on price. Indeed, SpaceX will only charge about 25-30% of what the other US rocket companies charge. SpaceX's rockets are made in the USA.
From a capitalist's perspective, it's interesting because this will be the first successful rocket developed entirely with private funds -- about $100 million in capital -- and is expected to be a profitable proposition. Since the days of von Braun, rocketry was the domain of governments only (the US rocket industry is more communist than what the Soviets dreamed up) and had a multi-billion dollar pricetag. But SpaceX has designed a rocket that is cheap to manufacture, fly, and reuse. This is the best that forward-thinking capitalism has to offer.
Good luck to SpaceX!
The rocket on the pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base...
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