Move Over NASA, Here Comes The Private Sector.

I've heard a lot of whining and complaining over Obama's decision to cut back on manned space exploration programs like Constellation.  A lot of it is centered around the idea that we may fall behind other countries in the "space race" sense.

However, the reality is the US is sooo advanced technologically that our private sector can do what most countries could only dream of!  So why shouldn't we let them?  Why use taxpayer's money to do what old fashioned competition and the free market may be able to do just as well?

The recent successful launch of the the SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket underscores that the private sector is moving into a position to do what only the government has been able to do so far.  I say let them do it.  From the Huffington Post:

A multimillionaire's test rocket... successfully reached orbit in a dry run for NASA's push to go commercial.  SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket achieved Earth orbit... drawing praise from NASA, the White House and others...

Friday's launch helps vindicate President Barack Obama's plan to give private companies the job of ferrying cargo and ultimately people to the space station, freeing up NASA to aim for true outer space. 

"This bodes very well for the Obama plan," said Musk, the co-founder of PayPal. "It shows that even a sort of small new company like SpaceX can make a real difference."

Don't get me wrong, the government will always need to fund basic science.  However, when it comes to hauling cargo to and from space or sending people to do photo ops on the moon and space stations, why not just let the free market foot the bill?  Seriously!