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Government-only model? >> well, the government is always going to have a big part in this, and let me just make one correction. there isn't nearly as much private money going into these efforts as most people think. what has funded spacex, for instance, primarily has been nasa. not only the commercial crew program but the commercial cargo program. they're customer es. spacex' customers are nasa, other governments and military. and so you can't have those private ventures unless you have a government agency like nasa that has a destination that it's going to, and that will fund those private co...

That's right. welcome back. nasa has been building rockets and sending humans in into space since its formation in the '60s. now jumping into the space industry. who's better equipped to handle or forays to the stars? nasa or the private sector? this is old school versus new school and joining me tonight, dr. mary ellen weber, she was a nasa astronaut ten years. she's a veteran of two space flights, and on the other side representing the new school is peter suederman, senior editor at "reason" magazine. welcome to you both. >> thanks for having me. >> thank you. great to be here. >> absolutely...

Great job in getting us forward and moving us forward. no, you can't just look at a given stunt here or there and say that that's what it's all about. if we're going to become a space-bearing civilization it is about the slog. it is about figuring out how to launch, rapidly, repeatedly. that's what the space shuttle program was all about. it may not seem as sexy to the general population, but if we truly are going to integrate space travel into our society, into our civilization, you have to do these repetitive things that may not be as sexy but are very, very important. >> okay. i understand ...