SpaceX is determined to break through the barrier to launching new, cheaper rockets from Cape Canaveral.The firm and its brash founder, Elon Musk, are on a trajectory that reaches beyond launching the first Falcon 9. They aim to disrupt the whole launch business.
They want to change how rockets are designed, built, prepped and launched. They want to change how new launchers are cleared for flight by the Air Force safety team that protects all of us on the ground from wayward rocket shrapnel.
They want a new American-made rocket that's cheaper than others. In the process, they want to blaze a trail for other new space companies. If they succeed, the U.S. could regain dominance in the worldwide space-launch market the old-fashioned way -- by being competitive on price.
So, SpaceX's success is our success. More American launches mean more launches from Cape Canaveral. That means more space jobs. That means everyone here, including its competitors, should be rooting for successful Falcon 9 launches just like they root for successful Atlas, Delta and shuttle launches.
Read the rest of the Sunday space column here, and join the conversation among readers.
1 comment:
Rhetoric… The company in question will not produce anymore jobs in Florida than what they have now. Their workers are already in place. But it nice to know that it will be cheaper to get things into space.
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