NASA is better at space exploration than Virgin Galactic

Here is why I believe NASA is better at space exploration than Virgin Galactic: I will be arguing four main points: Human Spaceflight achievements, Robotic Probe Achievements, astronaut safety, and the failure of space tourism.1) Achievements of Human Spaceflight programsNASA had 4 major orbital human spaceflight programs: Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and the Space Shuttle. Each had its own major achievements. (a) Mercury put a man in space when John Glenn became the first American to be in the Earth's orbit for approximately about an hour and a half. [1](b) Gemini conducted the first human spacewalk and various other experiments which would be necessary during the Apollo missions to land on the moon. [2](c) Apollo landed people on the moon. It has been described by NASA as "the single greatest technological ahcivement of all time" [3]. It has never been replicated by any other public or private entity. (d) The Space Shuttle program has been a reliable and comfortable way of getting NASA astronauts to the Internation Space Station. [4]Virgin Galactic does not have a reliable means of travelling to the ISS and back, it never conducted a spacewalk and it has never landed on the moon. So, right away, NASA wins on points (b), (c), and (d). As for point (a) which is orbital spaceflight, Virgin Galactic did not do anything in 2004 that NASA hadn't already done before in 1962. NASA beat Virgin Galctic by over 40 years.2) Unmanned Space Exploration of different planets(a) Spirit and Opportunity (Mars)The Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity successfully landed on Mars and sent over 124,000 highly detailed images of Mars. [5] This was a big step to further the exploration of Mars for eventual human missions. (b) Magellann (Venus)The Magellan mission studied land forms and tectonics, impact processes, erosion, deposition, chemical processes, and model the interior of Venus. [6] (c) Galileo (Jupiter)Galileo changed the way we look at Jupiter as well as the Solar system. It discovered that Jupiters great red spots were storms, that Io has volcanoes and the Europa has a frozen ocean underneath the ice. It also shows that there is evidence that even Callisto might have an ocean. [7] In the field of unmanned space exploration, private companies like Virgin Galactic are lacking. There have been no significant achievements which have contributed to a greater understanding of space. So, I conclude that the above listed achievements by NASA make it superior to Virgin Galactic in the absence of similar achievements.3) Failure of Space Tourism While one of Virgin Galactic's objectives were to take humans to space as Space Tourists, it hasn't really taken off. Tickets for a one week stay in space cost as much as $20 million [8] making them unaffordable for the masses as the average person would not earn that much in their lifetime. In fact, Will Whitehorn, president of Virgin Galactic said that the company would not put a definite timeline on when the commercial flights would begin. [9]4) Safety of Astronauts An explosion killed two engineers working for Virgin Galactic in the Mojave desert [10]. For a new company with only 17 orbital spaceflights, this a terrible safety record. Sources[1] . http://www.nasa.gov...[2] . http://en.wikipedia.org...[3] . http://history.nasa.gov...[4] . http://en.wikipedia.org...[5] . http://www.nasa.gov...[6] . http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov...[7] . http://solarsystem.nasa.gov...[8] . http://science.howstuffworks.com...[9] . http://news.bbc.co.uk...[10] . http://www.timesonline.co.uk...