Anniversaries.

Today is the 47th anniversary of the launch of Sputnik 1 by the Soviet Union. I find it fitting that SpaceShipOne completed its requirements for winning the $10M X-Prize by flying beyond 100km altitude twice in the space of a week with the payload of 3 passengers. Lets hope the next 47 years have many more spectacular achievements in space than the last 47 have - satellites, manned spacecraft, and landing on the Moon were the achievements of those first 47 years. Hopefully the next 47 will see human exploration of our whole solar system as well as settlements on the Moon and Mars and beyond.

Congratulations to the folks who made SpaceShipOne so successful and to Peter Diamandis who launched the dream of the X-Prize!

Jim.