Reflections of a Baby Boomer

My wife and I are staying in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, for awhile, so we were in a good position to view the trail of the space shuttle as it lifted off yesterday.We stepped out on our beachfront deck at four in the morning to view it and were not disappointed.

With ignition, those massive engines lit up the area. I wouldn't say it turned night into day, but we were able to see a lot of people standing on the public beach watching the event.

The power of the engines is awesome. You can feel it. Our wooden building shook five minutes into the flight, like aftershocks. We could see the light from the solid rocket boosters as they fell away from the shuttle and into the ocean. Some lucky folks get to go fetch them from the sea to be used again. That's not a job I'd want.

I've loved the space program from the start, but Obama is doing the right thing by trimming the budget. It's time to privatize it. Let Sir Richard Branson and other deep, deep pockets provide the fuel. After all, people can't yell for budget cuts and then complain when they get one they don't like. The space program won't die, but just maybe privatizing it will bring about a sharp focus in prioritizing missions and minimizing the politics.

To infinity and beyond! Go for it, Buzz!