Little punk China looks like a clown now! hahaha

I also want to say thanks to RT for posting this article. Maybe you listened to my comment on the previous article (maybe not), but at least I now see that RT is not all about FUD.

@ Bianca
Oh boy, a lot of factual inaccuracies here. The Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft were funded with a mixture of public and private funding (the public part indeed coming from seed funding as part of NASA's COTS and CCDev programs). While NASA did provide a list of specifications to fit their requirements and SpaceX did use NASA developments in some of their components (they would be foolish not to), nearly all of the design and manufacturing was done in-house by SpaceX. It's a complete lie to say that this was a former NASA project.With regards to the commercial market, NASA only accounts for 40% of the value in contracts with most of the remaining 60% being commercial (the other being foreign government space programs). Go to the SpaceX website and look up the launch manifest to plainly see this. Musk has even gone on record stating that while not having NASA funding would be a big hit they would make do without it.Lastly, NASA categorically does not subsidize SpaceX "to the tune of about 90% of total assets". Sounds like you just made this up to sound convincing.

@MikeNZ (unregistered)If it is NASA footage - why does it have an RT logo on it?
Theft!RT is only taking back the broadcasting beam of the nasa on their network. it is normal to have the logo of the nasa (the original broadcasting beam) and the logo of the channel which broadcasts the show.

I do not seem to understand what is the excitement all about.  The technology in this vehicle is not new.   NASA basically designed this vehicle, and gave to this company all the assets necessary to produce it.  NASA was there for all the technical specifications, design, build, testing, etc. etc.   NASA scientists worked on this as well.  This is a privatized former NASA projects.  It remains to be seen how much innovation and competition it brings to the table.  If past is any guide, the this company, like all others,  will be in front of the Congress every year for funding, bringing with them the best and brightest in lobbying firepower.    The company that has VERY LITTLE REAL COMMERCIAL MARKET cannot survive without Government subsidies.  Now, of course, this being US, it will not be called "subsidy".  We will have "contracts" for "goods and services", to produce a new vesell --- or a military gadget --- and money will be dutifuly assigned to it.  Years later, over the budget and way over the schedule,  taxpayer may or may not see anything.  But that is neither here nor there.  Everybody will forget about it, and dutifuly sing how privatization was great idea.   I do not have a problem with public-private partnerships.  On the contrary, I think it is necessary.  But, for the crying out loud, can we --- the dumb public --- demand that we get return on our capital, just like any other private capital will naturally insist on?   So, if our public funds go into the "private" space agency, and in fact, subsidizes it to the tune of about 90% of total assets (including public patents,time of scientists, engineers, testing facilities, etc.etc) --- are not we entitled to a hefty profit after expenses?    But, instead, we will sing praises to private innovation, while spending taxpayers' money and public servants expertese. 

CHINA MAD (unregistered) wrote in #7
They Called It Dragon To Pi$$ China Off. 
Dragon -x is owned by a private company that has completely nothing to do with international politics. China could care less about it, they have their own ambitiouns to fullfill.

CHINA MAD (unregistered) wrote in #7
They Called It Dragon To Pi$$ China Off. 
  China has nothing to do with the name "Dragon", it is a very common miss consumption. Chinese "Dragon" is a completely different folklore entity than traditional European Dragon, not only it looks obviously different but the name is completely deferent as well.   The only reason why modern society associates China with Dragon is because of interpretation and reference errors by early European explorers.

If it is NASA footage - why does it have an RT logo on it?
Theft!

They Called It Dragon To Pi$$ China Off. 

but cost limits will restrict the mission to an unmanned mission using the rover radio controlled robot.

This is so cool, its actually a huge step forward. Should have happened a longtime ago, instead of letting our dinosaurian governments stumble along their 'space programs' in superslow motion.

I plan to go to space in my lifetime. It's costing a little too much now, costing $800000 USD for vacation to CSS (Commercial Space Station), but I know cost of it will drop & also I have lots of time to save money :)

The KIA nailed the dragon and then what? They get away, and I, I look like a moron.  You try stabbing in the dark.

Hey, PotFace, you DO know is not the first time they've flown that thing, right? 

One step at a time. At least they are doing something.

Yeah I'll be impressed when they make it back to the ground without burning up in a firey inferno.  This mission isn't over yet.