The partly reusable Falcon 1, the first vehicle in a stable of low-cost rockets funded by Internet billionaire Elon Musk, failed on its first flight today.
It's hardly unusual for the first flight of a new booster to fail, and Musk's company, SpaceX, has the resources and will to continue. SpaceX vice president Gwynn Shotwell told reporters the causes were not clear yet. The vehicle failed about one minute into powered flight. She said, "Clearly this is a setback but we're in this for the long haul."
Comment: I know Gwynn Shotwell and have met the very enthusiastic Musk. I have no doubt they and their team will press on. The Falcon series could drastically lower the cost of access to orbit, and it's a worthy endeavor. Three more launches are already scheduled. Best of luck, my friends.
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