Well, by that measure, Kommander is a damn genius (from a thread discussing Obamas abandonment of manned space flight):
The problem with exploring and colonizing space, as opposed to exploring and colonizing the "New World"; is that there is, right now, little commercial benefit for doing so.Indeed. I'll take Branson and Rutan over Bolden and Garver in a split second.
Remember that the first colonists to the Americas were not doing it "For Science!" but "For Money!" Until there is money to be made in space it will continue to be dominated by various governmental agencies.
Spaceship One and the space tourism are a good start, be we need more. The future of the space program does not lie with governments, but with commercial interests who will be willing to take risks where governments are not.
Just let me know when I can sign up for the trip to freehold... or anywhere... or nowhere and back for that matter (when it costs less than a nice used car anyway).