SpaceX Falcon 9 reaches orbit on first try.

[BaalChatzaf]

A private enterprise rocket has achieved orbit. Falcon 9 built by SpaceX, Elon Musk's company has done the deed. Elon Musk is a co-founder of Pay Pal.

Back to the Future. Heavier than air powered flight was started by a pair of bicycle builders from Dayton Ohio who created the worlds first controllable heavier than air powered flying machine, funded out of their own pocket ($1200 1901 dollars). The most important stuff is done by private businessmen and inventors.

Ba'al Chatzaf

[anonrobt]

Wonderful news - and to think could get to to see it launch live on the net!! wonders!!! ;)

[dan2100]

A private enterprise rocket has achieved orbit. Falcon 9 built by SpaceX, Elon Musk's company has done the deed. Elon Musk is a co-founder of Pay Pal.

Back to the Future. Heavier than air powered flight was started by a pair of bicycle builders from Dayton Ohio who created the worlds first controllable heavier than air powered flying machine, funded out of their own pocket ($1200 1901 dollars). The most important stuff is done by private businessmen and inventors.

Ba'al Chatzaf

I don't want to downplay this too much, but, unlike the Wrights -- at least in my understanding -- SpaceX is not only launching from a NASA site, but has a big contract with NASA. (And their earlier launches in the Pacific were from US military sites.) In other words, this is not exactly a totally privately funded venture -- not the sort of free market launch company in the same way that the Wrights' company was private.

What might be said about about SpaceX is it's less of a NASA or Air Force insider and is doing most of the work outside government oversight and funding -- and not that this is a totally privately funded effort for non-government customers.