The pilot said he might have accidently tromped on a rudder pedal or something when he got so busy at the peak of the thrust phase. The controls on that ship are of the KISS variety, old cable and pulley stuff.

The New York Times story illustrates the level of sloppiness we have come to expect of the MSM:

"It then fired its rocket and went into space to an unofficial height of about 330,000 feet above earth, well beyond 100 kilometers."

Last I checked, 100 km was 62 miles, and 330000/5280 was real close to 62 miles.

Note that Bigelow isn't putting up the full $50 million. He's putting up half, and inviting others to help fill the other half.

Also note that the energy and structure required for escape velocity to reach orbit, and protection for return, make this goal around ten times more difficult to perform than the X-prize requirements.

A prize of $500 million would be more in line with the difficulties involved.

SpaceShipOne is an awesome private-sector accomplishment. However, I would note that between 1968 and 1972 the United States landed six crewed spacecrafts on the surface of the moon. If we had been waiting around for an entreprenurial genius to do this feat, we would still be waiting.

I think that a society like ours needs to celebrate common endeavors as well as the private; we need both. I hear talk about the "ownership society" and I am reminded that, as a citizen, I am part owner of Apollo's achievement. The total cost of the Apollo missions was somewhere around $25 billion in 1969 ($126 billion today). It is therefore analogous to our Iraq investment. However, the projected dividends of the Iraq mission are far more sketchy. In 30 years or so, I don't think I will be acknowledging pride in my partial ownersip of the Iraqi War.