The Spin Begins

In the warm afterglow of the successful test launch of the Falcon 9, individuals and organizations have already begun spinning that success to support previously held positions. Those who support President Obama's approach to NASA say the launch is a good step in that direction, while those who oppose the Obama plan continue to question it. Such is politics.

SpaceX is beginning to establish a good record with its Falcon series of rockets, of which Falcon 9 is the largest and the projected workhorse. That's good news for SpaceX, and it's also good news for other companies in the NewSpace industry. They may now have less pressure from government regulators early on as they move towards their first test launches.

The elemental task remains, however. Whether private enterprise can provide regular, rapid, relatively safe access to low Earth orbit at a profit anytime soon is still an open question. The Falcon 9 test flight maintains the hope, but dozens of such flights by several different companies are needed before we can begin to say we might have the key to the future in our hands.