SpaceX the Alan Notes

Cruz, Smith among leaders in Congress pushing private space flight, with its growing presence in Texas

WASHINGTON—There were no humans on board the SpaceX cargo flight that exploded over Florida shortly before 10:30 a.m. EDT this morning, but there’s something profoundly haunting about watching the long, slender rocket fire into the sky and, 2 minutes, 21 seconds later, explode into ruin.

Anyone who remembers — and who, old enough, doesn’t? — the Challenger explosion in 1986 or the Columbia explosion over Texas in 2003 — can’t help but to have experienced an uncomfortable shiver.

It’s another setback for private space flight, an industry that Musk has done much to push forward in Texas and nationwide. Last year, during a test flight, another SpaceX rocket exploded over Texas.

Texas has long been synonymous with space flight, thanks to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. It’s also where the operational center for the International Space Station, the intended recipient of today’s lost payload, is located and along with Cape Canaveral, Fla., remains the central outward face of NASA.

But Texas is also a center of the growing private space industry, which includes but isn’t limited to SpaceX. Perhaps that’s why two Texas lawmakers have made boosting the private space industry such a central part of their legislative work this year.

Sen. Ted Cruz has helped pass legislation empowering private space flight and Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, has done the same from his powerful perch as chairman of the House committee on science, space and technology.

“This bill, ” Smith said last month as he hailed the passage of a major will encourage the private sector to launch rockets, take risks, and shoot for the heavens.”

Moments ago, Musk, told his 2.29 million followers on twitter: “There was an overpressure event in the upper stage liquid oxygen tank. Data suggests counterintuitive cause.”