I recently read some interesting discussion about Jay Barbree's supposed rant over Space X where he was said to refer to the Falcon 1 as "Mickey Mouse" from a launch vehicle perspective and when compared to the Ares I/I-X.

Some of that discussion, which itself became Mickey Mouse, led me to some thoughts as to comparisons. First off, to those zealots of Space X find it to be the best of all spaceflight things- I would like to provide a grain of fact: If you think you are going to be provided with the same level of information as to the vehicle, people, operations and problems of operations surronding the Falcon 9, or any other SX vehicle for that matter, you'd better forget it. Corporate spaceflight, without any NASA involvement, will release information on a level that would make the Soviets feel warm and fuzzy. A good examply was the X-Prize flights of SpaceShipOne. If you'll recall, in the boost of the first attempt at the prize SSO developed an uncommanded roll that could not be stopped under power. The flight finished fine, but this roll was a real problem. As a part of the most inside team covering this event, I found that the door to Scaled was slammed and locked and ZERO information concerning this issue was released. Why? Because Scaled Composits is a PRIVATE venture and they don't have to release a darned thing- to anyone in the public. Had this been a NASA flight, the information would have come out- slowly, but eventually in full. Same thing with the Falcon breed of boosters. If the Falcon 9 lifts off from CCAFS and then blows up- no one out there in cyber forum land will get anything solid to chew on that Space X does not want out.

Next- I wonder if we will see the same level of arm waving and magnification of concocted safety issues with this new, untested, Falcon 9 launch vehicle that we saw with the Ares I-X? Frankly, as a spaceflight historian, I see the odds of the F-9 making a big fireball in the sky to be far greater than the Ares I-X. This is simply due to its greater complexity. No doubt, the folks who handle the range have this in mind as well. It is interesting to note that the "Eastern Test Range" is actually operating under the wrong name- it has actually become the Eastern Operational Range, as most of the testing that was seen in the early days is now largely gone. Range management today cringes at the thought of actually having to transmit the Command Destruct signal- sure they'll do it without hesitation, but you can bet that afterward, the vehicle's team will wish they had been onboard because Range Management is going to crawl up their collective butts with a microscope.

Don't get me wrong- I think the Falcon 9 is new and very exciting, but for those who think that private companies replacing NASA are not aware of the world they wish to see created.

Additionally- I think that this section of the web site needs a new subject other than Walter Cronkite's death