SpaceX is a disaster.
As a space enthusiast, I was saddened along with many others when the first SpaceX rocket exploded on launch on Friday, March 31, 2006. SpaceX is a private company engaged in the business of launching vehicles into space. The March 31, 2006 launch was non-secret and government-funded.
Unfortunately, SpaceX Vice-President of Business Development Gwynne Shotwell compounded the launch disaster with a conceited, secretive approach. Interviewed on Science Friday with Ira Flatow, she flatly rejected every opportunity to make public (1) what might have caused the explosion; (2) photographs annd video of the rocket coming back to Earth, or even (3) the type of vehicle the rocket carried. (* audio available) Ms. Shotwell did clearly state that this was not a secret government project. It was a launch funded by DARPA, a US government agency, and held some kind of demonstration satellite for the US Air Force Academy, but any further information was not forthcoming. There is no indication that SpaceX had any information at stake related to any comparative advantage over competitors.
The approach of SpaceX and Ms. Shotwell is totally unacceptable in a society of free government. This launch was funded by taxpayers, and to deny information at this stage is unreasonable.
The only logical inference to draw is that SpaceX is an unaccountable company that cannot be trusted with your investment dollars.
I commend Ira Flatow of Science Friday for his probing, hard-hitting interview with Ms. Shotwell, available for free on the Science Friday web site. Perhaps Ira Flatow is considering filing a FOIA request with DARPA and the US Air Force Academy to retrieve all available data regarding the crash. I hope for the prompt release of the complete data set to the public.