Why does SpaceX matter?

It was October 4, 1957 and Americans were frightened. They felt unsafe, and second best. This of course was when Russia decided to put a satellite in orbit around earth. It was a monumental achievement. Americans crowded outside that night, on street corners and in front of houses to get a glimpse of something out of a comic book. A man made object traveling high in the sky at 18,000 miles an hour. Once Americans saw it the panic set in. The world now to them felt extremely small. Russia was no longer a continent away, but just half an orbit away on this small rock we call planet earth. If the Russians can do that what was to stop them from dropping bombs whenever they wanted.

Suddenly America went mad for science. It was science after all that was responsible for the object traveling over their heads. So the only logic conclusion was that it was science that could rescue them from it. As they felt small now, science would ultimately make them feel equally as big and superior to the Russians. All that was needed was to increase funding and American determination.
And boy! Did the funding come roiling in! From wikipedia:

Sputnik's success and Vanguard's failure caused such political turmoil in the United States that the period is known as the Sputnik crisis. The Eisenhower administration quickly enacted several initiatives to address the perceived technical shortcomings in the United States. Within a year, the United States Congress passed the legislation creating NASA, as well as the National Defense Education Act, the most far-reaching federally-sponsored education initiative in the nation's history.[citation needed] The education bill authorized expenditures of more than $1 billion for a wide range of reforms including new school construction, fellowships and loans to encourage promising students to seek higher education, new efforts in vocational education to meet critical manpower shortages in the defense industry, and a host of other programs.[3]

See it wasn't just launching a satellite or even getting a man in space that was important. It was beefing up science and education all around. The space race was just the driving force behind it. Folding proteins in a super computer is nice, but the American public does not understand it. Putting a flag on the moon however is a universal symbol all can understand immediately as a sign of achievement. It made Americans unite for a short period safe in their belief that, though they may not understand science, we were the best at it. That translated to very warm beds indeed. Cozy blankets of security. We were safe from the Russians it seemed.

It didn't last long however. The sleeping giant was fast to hit the snooze button once again.

Today you can hear the mumbles on the street. "NASA..." people say "...is a waste of money. Despite the advances being gained from it. This obvious ignorance to science is permeating throughout the American mindset. Science is now under attack in America. Movements have started to get science out of the biology class room and inject theistic philosophy in it's place. "Teach the controversy!". They cry out. Willfully ignorant that the only controversy is the one they have made up. Science funding is under attack from politicians and the public at large. Ask 10 people on the street if stem cell research should be funded by the government and you will get a majority saying no. Science education in our country is "middle of the pack" in quality. Why? It should come as no surprise the obvious realistic answer. Funding of our education system is one of the lowest per student in the world for civilized nations. You get what you pay for.

With the new American war on science growing and gaining steam every day, it should not shock us to see other countries surpassing us now in scientific achievements. Everyday we see newspapers and magazines with stories about stem cell advancements. People are running to china to get stem cell treatments. Iranian nanotechnology may be the best in the world. What is going on? This is the new sputnik. It is a wake up call and Americans are sleeping through the alarm.

So what can American Scientist's do? Well, they are running to the private sector.

Meet SpaceX. Since the late 50's it has been said that going to space is too daunting, too difficult, too expensive of a task for the private sector. Elon Musk and his team of top-notch scientists plan to laugh in the face of all the nay-sayers out there. Not only do they plan to be be a major player in delivering payloads to orbit, but they plan to make a profit off of it as well. Did I mention the best part? CEO Elon Musk said: "I believe $500 per pound ($1,100/kg) or less is very achievable." Holy crap! At prices like that my book club could send something into space.

Despite the criticism, SpaceX not only got off the ground, they made it to space, then successfully delivered the first commercial payload into orbit- a satellite from Malaysia. This is very exciting indeed. And the goals of this company are more ambitious than that. From wikipedia:

On 23 December 2008, SpaceX announced that it had won a Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract, which guarantees NASA missions worth US$1.6 billion for resupplying the International Space Station, after the Space Shuttle retires in 2010.[4]

So they are going to replace the space shuttle it appears.

This is a testament to the power of the private sector. SpaceX is a fantastic company and a shining example of Capitalism at work. This author can't wait to see the Falcon 9 launch later this year. It will be a monumental achievement for a private company. It will also remind us that science is still very much alive in this country if one is willing to fund it properly.

Perhaps it is time for America to take a lesson from SpaceX. Hard work and proper funding can enable you to overcome even the greatest challenges. Science is a wonderfully fantastic thing, and we have only scratched the surface of our potential to make the world a better place with it. If we truly wish to remain the scientific leader in the world, then we should remember sputnik. It's time to fund science properly, not just to play catch up but to ensure our place at the forefront.

So why does SpaceX matter? That is for you the reader to decide.

Is the condition of the space program in America (government funded vs private) a good measurement of the state of science in general in this country? Why? Why not? Post your Comments Below.