The new space race

Big news. That planet they found last month, some scientists speculate that there are light waves emanating from it as a deliberate means of communication - with us.

Kewl.

Not that we can do much about it anytime soon. It's not like we can get there. Even if we could travel at lightspeed, which we cant, it'd take 2o years.

Maybe they can come to us. Hope they're friendly.

In big news we can do something about, Boeing has entered the commercial space race. Also kewl.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/09/16/space.flights/index.html?hpt=Mid

I'm thrilled to see corporations like Boeing and Virgin Galactic picking up the pieces in the wake of our government's short sightedness. It will undoubtedly have fewer direct benefits to mankind as a whole, as it will be focused on profit, and not exploration. But at least it's something.

Perhaps, as people get excited about commercial space travel, these companies will expand their offerings. trips to the Moon, or Mars for you and me (ok, for our kids) could be a reality. Heck, they could even open that theme park on the moon (minus the whalers of course).

But my goofy Futurama reference aside, this is great stuff. Incredible potential, especially as others enter the fold of this 'space race'. I can see new more exciting 'x-prize' type contests bringing a new crop of the best and brightest engineers to these companies, in much the way grads form MIT and such flocked to NASA in the 1950's and 1960's.

It's a brave new world. And for the first time in a while, It seems like we're trying to get there.

To Boldly Go!