I think my posted opinions on private space ventures vs government space activities
has been misunderstood.
I am not against private [commercially funded] space ventures, nor am I cynical or skeptical about their [still in the future] successes to come, inspite of numerous delays and failures that the private sector has experienced.

I repeat! I am not against private space ventures, nor am I cynical or skeptical about their [future] success.
It's a given that private space-ventures like those run by Burt Rutan, Mr. Bigelow and Gary Hudson, etc. are HONEST and COMMENDABLE and soon will and even now are bearing fruit.
Before the end of this decade a small flotilla of suborbital, passenger-carrying spacecraft [Virgin Galactic, Inc]
are going to carry paying passengers [not all of them millionaires] regularly if not routinely into space.
The use of the economical booster rockets [Falcon 1, 2] for orbital launches will also take place by then.

AND...by 2020, as Tom has already indicated, the first "private" manned orbital launches will have taken place.

I'm also convinced that the first moon tourists [those who are adventurous billionaires] will circle the moon
by 2012 thanks to a PRIVATE SPACE FIRM sponsoring them, but also thans to the Russian government willing
to split the funding for such an endeavor, if only to tweak NASA noses.

And...I am not against the government sector being involved in space exploration and development as well.
The government is not always the bad guy who wastes money and takes too many years to achieve its space goals.
NASA did good in the years 1961-1973.

Yes! NASA's goals and budgeted programs [like the shuttle and the ISS] went to hell in a handbasket between 1977 and 2003, but that's another story.
I want BOTH, the private sector and government, to do their part in space exploration, NOT one or the other.

Sorry, Tom, if I have been testy with you on your reply on another thread. I think there was misunderstanding on both our parts.

cheers.