Privately Owned Spacecraft: The Dragon

In an informational article I read I realized the true potential of space exploration.  People all around the world have been building their own privately owned spacecraft’s to orbit into space.  One of these in particular made me really interested, the Dragon.  It is a rocket created by a space program known as SpaceX, a space transportation company based in California.  This spacecraft was the first vehicle ever placed into orbit and recovered by a privately owned company.  That amazes me how people out there in the world have been putting their own time and money into space exploration.  This opens so many more possibilities for space travel.  Also, the first operational space mission the Dragon will have is hauling cargo to the International Space Station for NASA.  This vehicle can also hold up to seven passengers or a mixture of cargo.  The Dragons heat shield will be able to withstand flight to the moon and Mars, which means we could fly this spacecraft to these planets.  I was just amazed on reading all of this information and how privately owned space programs are already sending vehicles up into space.  If the Dragons heat shield can withstand planets like the moon and mars maybe we could travel to other planets that we have yet to examine.  If so, we could learn so much more about our galaxy and maybe even reach out further past our own galaxy.  I think if we join programs like SpaceX and NASA we could cut out a lot of costs, have more knowledge on our relations with space, and learn more about this world together.  Millions of minds together outsmart hundreds of minds, plain and simple.  As a country we need to seek out greater minds and take advice from all sides of things.  There could be something one group thinks and the other group thinks in the complete opposite.  So we need to take information from all different angles and if we do that we will succeed further out into the pits of space.  All in all, this article helped me realize what man can truly do without NASA and how there are so many privately owned space programs out there.