NASA Bet On SpaceX Risky?

In an article in Forbes titled What NASA Risks By Betting On Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Dr. Loren Thompson makes the case that putting all of one’s human space access chips in one basket may not be a good idea. Some will simply scoff at the issues Thompson raises as “Old Spacer” whining. Others will employ ad hominem attacks, beginning with the fact that Thompson hasn’t been a big fan of SpaceX. Congress seems to have taken a more measured approach; it has mandated and paid for programs that will allow the U.S. to independently pursue its human space exploration goals regardless of how things turn out for SpaceX or any of the other “New Space” companies.