First of all, I have to admit that the launch of the rocket by Space X (link) is exciting and offers a lot of potential for new science and learning as well as might provide some significant cost savings when it comes to space exploration. All of these things are good but I worry that they come at a price to our collective being as humanity. The article I cited above has a great quote "It's fine to rely on partners, but that's not where the greatest nation in the world wants to be." I find this sentiment to be troubling. Is our individualism what really makes us great as a nation. Is it really the fact that we can "go it alone" a sign that we truly are #1 in the world. My worries about private companies engaging in space flight is that it runs the risk of privatizing the knowledge that we can gain from such an experience. Do we really want the symbol planted on Mars if/when the first humans land there to be a corporate logo? I am not opposed to the idea of companies finding ways to make a profit through space exploration and travel, but I do worry that if it is done solely with private dollars and private backing that ultimately the gains no longer are public but also held in private. It is probably overly romantic of me, but I have always loved that fact that some of our last frontiers of exploration, namely space and Antarctica have been held, not privately by companies or even nations, but have been seen more as a resource of all humanity. I want to be excited about the potential offered by private companies but I worry that all of us seems to feed into the individualistic psyche of our nation.
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In my opinion and with history as a reference, privatized exploration and invention is the most cost effective and innovative way to bust our way into the future. Private industry trumps the performance of a nationalized campaign almost every time. Think of all the things that our world uses today such as electricity that was invented by indviduals that benefits the greater good of society. It could be a scary world if the government whether it be ours or another had all the knowledge withheld from the citizens. The difference between private companies and the government holding the power/knowledge is that corporations need/want to deliver it to the masses.
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