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Historic SpaceX Launch Set for Saturday
On Saturday, private company SpaceX is scheduled to launch a capsule to rendezvous with the International Space Station. We hear about the risks and potential benefits.
By Warren Olney • • 51m ListenOn Saturday, the private company, SpaceX, is scheduled to do what NASA's been doing for years: launch a capsule developed in Southern California to rendezvous with the International Space Station. That's if it can get off the ground and show the maneuverability needed to complete the docking and — presuming the Russian Soyuz will have gone home. We hear about the risks and potential benefits. Also, when Facebook goes public, will it help reduce California's state revenue shortfall? On our rebroadcast of today's To the Point, more on the Facebook IPO. Is the company really worth 105 times its annual earnings?
Banner image: DragonLab in orbit, courtesy of SpaceX
In this episode
3 storiesHow Much Will Facebook's IPO Help California's Ailing Budget?
Tomorrow's the day that shares in Facebook will start publicly trading, and the share price has been set at $38. The State of California is hoping that the IPO will create enough new money to increase state revenues. H.D. Palmer is Deputy Director of Governor Brown's Department of Finance.
Read the story1 minPrivate Enterprise in Low Earth Orbit
PayPal billionaire Elon Musk admits, "There's a lot that can go wrong." But his Dragon space capsule could be the first private mission to reach the International Space Station as soon as next week. Launch is scheduled for Saturday from the Air Force Station at Cape Canaveral.
Read the story1 minFacebook IPO: A Touchstone Cultural Moment for America?
Facebook 's share price for tomorrow's initial public offering will be $38. One close observer calls the IPO a "touchstone cultural moment." He's David Kirkpatrick, founder of the Techonomy Conference, which studies "how technology is changing everything else."
Read the story26 min
