Another rocket up. The sky fills in, one booking at a time
India's Skyroot Aerospace reached orbit on Saturday, becoming the third country's private sector to do so, and announced its ambition plainly: a cab service to space. Consider what happened to every place a cab service reached.
The pitch is convenience — no more waiting months for a launch slot; book a rocket like a ride. Waiting was the last filter. Now the queue is gone, the factory builds one rocket a month, and 400 start-ups are behind this one, each with a manifest. Low Earth orbit will fill the way every commons fills: efficiently, cheerfully, and past capacity before anyone votes on it.
The payload includes, in fairness, a robotic arm designed to remove space debris — a small broom aboard the very industry that makes the mess. We note the ratio: one broom, six payloads, one rocket a month. The broom is outnumbered and always will be.
They also sent up a diamond lotus, so that the junk, at least, will sparkle. Twinkle, twinkle. It begins.