Challenge of the New Frontier

   We have all heard of the intro of 'Star Trek', "Space the New Frontier..." Since the days of NASA first flight to the moon, we have pondered the day that we will see space travel as a luxury, as part of our pastime. It was the combine aspirations of Sir Richard Branson (Founder of Virgin) and Aerospace Engineer, Burt Rutan that we will sooner than a lot of people anticipated, enjoy private sector (commercialized) space flight. With an estimate of 1.7 billion dollars coming from various investors around the globe, the goal of providing suborbital space flights to those interested in space tourism has become a predetermined human goal.
   After winning the civilian space race in October 4, 2004, Burt Rutan made the statement, "I was thinking a little a bit about that other space agency, I think that they are looking at each other now and saying, 'We're screwed!'." Referring to designing a space travel model that's safer than NASA.  But on July 26, 2007, an explosion occurred killing 3 Scaled Composite employees during the testing of Spaceship Two, and again just recently on October 31, 2014, Spaceship Two crashed after experiencing an in-flight anomaly. One theory surrounding the fuel, the other surrounding the handling of the feathering mechanism. In either case, the accident resulted in the fatality of one pilot and injuring another.
   In the course of innovation, especially one of this magnitude of greatness and achievement, sacrifices are expected to be made. But alot of people think it's not worth it. Deeming the project to be exceptional to the privilege class. With flights beginning in 2015, seats will be starting at $200,000 each. But is it worth the lives lost to it? Some opinions will say it's the next stage of humanity, a creation of intelligent design. And others will say, it's a product of the elite class, a privilege only for those who can afford it. Are we ready for this leap into a space era, are Burt Rutan and Richard Branson ahead of their time? Burt Rutan stated in the beginning of the Virgin Galactic project, "We're aiming at a suborbital system to a low enough operating cost that could eventually reach millions of people."
    We are already aware that society in general can be afraid of change and Information technology has reached a level of sophistication and efficiency that people are adapting to. The goal of these two frontiersmen is simply to be the first to create a conventional form of space travel that everyone can enjoy in their everyday lives and will be incorporated into our everyday culture. From the beginning of civilization, our human goal is that of constant advancement, there no reason to stop now.