2. Billionaires and Their Toys
In this case, competition is a good thing. In the last few years, several new companies have sprung up, funded by billionaires who want to go into space before they die. Companies like Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic and Elon Musk’s SpaceX are taking the space race out of the hands of under-funded government programs and pushing things forward by leaps and bounds. SpaceX recently completed the unprecedented feat of actually returning a reusable rocket to Earth, but they’re not the only ones paving the way. More than thirty launches from private companies are expected this year.
