Neat accomplishment, but the claims of NASA "shaking in their boots" are plain old hype and premature by decades. The technology and hardware for the private sector to do this has existed since WW2. This probably could have been done much more cheaply had Rutan purchased military surplus equipment, but I suppose there's no fun in that. And remember it took over $20 million to win $10 million. The trumpeting is due to this being a private sector accomplishment, purely and simply. No technological barriers have been broken, nothing new has happened. It will be decades, at least, before the private sector has any "heavy" lifting ability, all but the youngest among us will be long dead. And remember that they haven't even made orbit yet. This was one small step, (which some of us believe is already decades overdue), and really just a footnote, not the major milestone that the press is pushing. Let's not wave flags and get all weepy just because some of us love anything with a rocket motor, fins, and American flag on it. The world really isn't rose-colored. Your wet-blanket editorialist (realist). _______________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Declare Yourself - Register online to vote today! http://vote.yahoo.com