Virgin Galactic got a manned space vehicle into -- or very near -- space the other day, depending where you think space starts. FAA and the U.S. military say it's fifty miles, about eighty kilometers, but everyone else prefers 100 km. The flight cleared fifty miles, so they get astronaut wings -- and at that altitude, wings aren't much use.
Naturally, nitwits on Facebook are grousing about the "wasteful" flight, not to mention the excursions-for-the-rich to follow. The adventurous and well-off are our civilization's beta testers, largely self-funding, and I'm happy to see 'em go to the edge of space, especially if that means my great-nieces and -nephews can someday make the trip at regular passenger rates, and have somewhere to stay when they get there.
Update
3 days ago
3 comments:
As long as the rich aren't using their monopoly position to squelch opinion, I say let 'em have at it. Good for them.
Excellent point! I 'know' how much 'research' costs at that altitude, and it ain't cheap... GLAD to see somebody else paying for it!
When the seat's get to 500 a ride I am up for a trip.
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