# Space Geeks: 2 NASA: 0 **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 1, 2005, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-geeks-2-nasa-0/306301 "2005-06-01T01:02:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-geeks-2-nasa-0/306301/1 "2005-06-01T01:02:27Z")
[PayPal’s founder’s rocket passes engine tests.](http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/sfn_050528_falcon1.html) > [@](#): > > Rocket-launch newcomer Space Exploration Technologies Corp. today accomplished a critical engine firing at California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base, a long-awaited event that puts the company much closer to its inaugural blastoff later this summer. > > The Falcon 1 rocket roared its first stage engine during the dramatic five-second firing to demonstrate countdown procedures and ring out equipment bugs at the rebuilt Space Launch Complex-3 West pad. > > After two false starts in recent weeks, the 70-foot-tall vehicle rumbled to life as today’s countdown hit the planned T-minus zero second mark at 9 a.m. local time (12 p.m. EDT; 1600 GMT). > > The low-cost, privately-developed Falcon 1 rocket is the creation of Elon Musk, the South African spending his own cash to bring the new launcher from the drawing board to reality. Musk was co-founder of PayPal, the online payment system, and earlier the Zip2 software company. :::Wanders off humming _IGY_::: ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-geeks-2-nasa-0/306301/2 "2005-06-01T12:38:29Z")
::Wanders off humming _The Right Stuff_:: ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ea5d25/32.png) [@Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Scrappy_Hero_Pup)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-geeks-2-nasa-0/306301/3 "2005-06-01T12:55:42Z")
::wonders why Bosda thought NKOTB was appropriate:: This is great. I firmly believe that private industry will beat the government back to the moon, and perhaps even to Mars. ::wanders off humming the theme to _2001_:: ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-geeks-2-nasa-0/306301/4 "2005-06-01T13:00:01Z")
::wanders by humming the theme to Button Moon:: ::wonders how many people will know what he’s humming:: ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-geeks-2-nasa-0/306301/5 "2005-06-01T17:42:26Z")
> [@Happy Scrappy Hero Pup](#): > > ::wonders why Bosda thought NKOTB was appropriate:: > > This is great. I firmly believe that private industry will beat the government back to the moon, and perhaps even to Mars. > > ::wanders off humming the theme to _2001_:: International Geophysical Year? I didn’t know it was a tune, but it was a slightly misnamed 18 month period around 1958; I believe some of the early satellite launches were part of its program. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-geeks-2-nasa-0/306301/6 "2005-06-01T17:51:28Z")
> [@Spectre of Pithecanthropus](#): > > International Geophysical Year? I didn’t know it was a tune, but it was a slightly misnamed 18 month period around 1958; I believe some of the early satellite launches were part of its program. Donald Fagan lyrics. \*Get your ticket to that wheel in space While there’s time The fix is in You’ll be a witness to that game of chance in the sky You know we’ve got to win Here at home we’ll play in the city Powered by the sun Perfect weather for a streamlined world There’ll be spandex jackets one for everyone What a beautiful world this will be What a glorious time to be free\* 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-geeks-2-nasa-0/306301/7 "2005-06-01T18:19:50Z")
Hah. I was just listening to _IGY_. Although **Spectre** does bring up a good point … what _does_ that stand for? I’m Gointa Youterspace? ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-geeks-2-nasa-0/306301/8 "2005-06-01T22:07:15Z")
> [@Ponder Stibbons](#): > > Hah. I was just listening to _IGY_. Although **Spectre** does bring up a good point … what _does_ that stand for? I’m Gointa Youterspace? Internaional Geophysical Year. It was supposed to be a period highlighting scientific acheivement, but the Soviets stole the show with their Sputnik launch.