Private Spaceflight Advances. But What About NASA?

The “carrier” plane for the commercial spacecraft SpaceShipTwo took its first test flight today. And the unmanned Falcon has been taken through its paces recently with some success.

Options Considered

But NASA’s Ares I rocket—the booster for the country’s next manned spacecraft—won’t be tested until July of next year. And it’s future is in question as the incoming Obama administration considers the options: extending the Shuttle’s lifespan; going ahead with Ares-Orion; or trying something different, perhaps using modified Atlas V rockets to launch men into space.

The latter, many engineers agree, is not a smart idea. But it appears to be on the table.

Still Stuck in Earth Orbit

Here’s hoping for more space advances in 2009. It’s pitiful that as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of Apollo 8, nobody has been to the moon since 1973…and the latest manned moon program faces possibly cancellation.