SpaceX' next launch attempt has apparently been slipped to mid-February, due to a thrust-vector control issue. The static test firing will still occur this weekend, though.

From the SpaceX web release:

After January 23rd Kwaj needs to reconfigure for an incoming Minuteman mission.

Incoming Minuteman? Duck and cover!

As others have pointed out, when it comes time for WWIII, we _know_ we can hit Kwaj. ;->

Not being able to launch on demand increasingly seems a serious mistake. Sadly I no longer have much hope for SpaceX. Another opportunity wasted.

Rand,

I've published an article about an Empirical Law of Private Space Industry:

http://www.gaetanomarano.it/articles/018empLaw.html

Gaetano

I would be a very happy person if this "law" held. It's going to be tough to match NASA's rate of progress between 1961 and 1969, but if that is acheived (or close to it) privately and cheaply 50 years later then the rest is cake.

Note that private companies are not just followng NASA but are in fact doing things that NASA (or the Soviets) have *never* done. No X-15 ever made two 100+ km high flights within two weeks. XCOR's EZ-Rocket has done a number of things that no other rocket-powered vehicle has ever done: rocket powered touch and go, rocket powered cross country flight and return (pity it wasn't the same day...) ...

Bruce,

clearly, privates (after won their fundamental challenges: launch a rocket, build a capsule, etc.) are (and will be able) to do many innovations vs. space agencies (and, someday, surpass them!) but they have a big advantage: now we/they have very advanced technologies compared with '60s, '70, etc. ...just an example: to-day they have (in their pockets!) "n" times the computer power of a (full building's floor) 70's mainframe...