With minutes to go, Florida’s infamous weather scrubbed the launch of America’s first attempt to put people into space in a decade. The Libertarian hard-on will have to wait as they celebrate the privatization of space travel. Even if Ego Musk’s rocket succeeded, the Randroids are being hasty. NASA remains in charge of anything beyond low-earth orbital missions. Ergo, the government runs the missions to return to the Moon and Mars.
I don’t have a problem with NASA handing over the routine stuff. Private companies launching satellites has been happening for years. My beef is over safety. NASA has had their failures (two shuttles, the Apollo fire) but Corporations will have more casualties since they play faster and looser with probability. Remember, Ego and Jeff Bozo are hellbent on making a profit FIRST. Also, don’t expect them wanting the contracts to operate probes to the outer solar system. There’s no way to monetize knowing more about Jupiter in their petty minds.
I won’t end on a bitter note. I’m excited about America no longer needing the Russians to hitch rides to the ISS. If Space X has found ways to make launches cheaper and more frequent, something the space shuttle never delivered on (when I was a tweener in 1981, NASA hoped to have a shuttle launch about every 7-10 days).