October 4

It was 47 years ago today that Sputnik 1 launched (literally!) the first space age. It is quite appropriate that SpaceShipOne completed its requirements for winning the X Prize by flying a 2nd time in less than a week to an altitude higher than 100 kilometers. The first 47 years of the space age has seen satellites, manned spacecraft, robots on other planets and flying past all the planets but Pluto (and that is scheduled for a mission in the near future). Hopefully the next 47 years will see not only the exploration of our whole solar system but also spaceflight for the common Man and 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.