EarthToJake wrote:
Nuttdan: No, I have not heard about SpaceShipOne. What is it?
Well, basically, up until now, all the space missions have been funded by the government. The United States, the Solviet Union/Russia, and the European Space Agency. All stuff funded by governments to compete with other nations or accomplish something.
But now the idea of "commercial space travel" is starting to get some attention. The idea is that instead of having the government have to be the one to do all the cool space stuff, that anyone who has the cash can do space stuff. So a company called ScaledComposites is competing to try to get the first privately funded rocket, with three people, into space.
So far, they've got a spaceship with one man in it into space, 60 miles up! It's exciting. Once there's commercial space travel, more people will be in space, etc. But it will also be, well, more commercialized, with its first purpose to make money, instead of accomplishing scientific goals. But a natural step.