Subject: SpaceX achieves orbit! Paypal founder Elon Musk's SpaceX has achieved orbit yesterday with a privately developed vehicle. This video gives a good idea of what it takes to get up to orbit velocity: http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/09/space-x-did-it.html This with only 550 employees. Hearty congratulations, this is long overdue. spike