away!

Ares 1-X launched. Woo hoo!

It's pretty amazing when you think about it, how NASA retooled in 3 short years.

It's unclear what the future holds. The Augustine commission says that NASA's eyes are bigger than their wallets. They can't make the Moon in the projected timeframe; Mars landings look to be out of the picture. Despite cheaper, safer, simpler technology.

Still, I'm optimistic. It shows what a large, bureaucratic, government agency can do. Imagine what a lean and mean commercial enterprise might accomplish. This is another milestone, one more rung, another small step, as we work our way up into the stars.