When Shenzhou and SpaceShipOne beat Shuttle...

On Thu, 03 Jul 2003 00:04:16 +0200, "M. Scott"
wrote:

Even worse is
the fact that the low-cost operations of these private space vehicles
will blow a hole in NASA's arguments that "space is difficult." Space
may be difficult the way NASA does it, but it doesn't have to be
difficult. And private companies are about to expose that fact.

The danger with such pronouncements ("space isn't hard, NASA just
makes it hard!") is that these other players haven't done it yet. When
they do, *then* the "Space isn't hard" arguments can flourish. Until
they do, I think it wise to hedge your bets. The odds suggest
SpaceShipOne and the others will fail. Advanced aircraft often do...
and SpaceShipOne, etc. are no different in that regard.

Brian