Space X is nothing new

Jan 20, 2020
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There is absolutely nothing new about what Space X is doing.

Everything ever done by NASA was done by private corporations. Everything. An eccentric founder is amusing but that doesn't change anything. He may supply the vision to make the leap to privately funded exploration but I doubt that. If there is profit in the venture and if he does it first good for him, but he will not do exploration. Nasa will do that to the extent that our military allows them.

If Space X launches a Mars mission the goal will be profit, and that's OK, but don't pretend that its something new. Fact is if the US military doesn't give Space X its blessing they will not succeed on Mars. If you doubt this ask someone that works for the RFSA how not having US blessing on Mars has worked out for them. Roscosmos execs will tell you how well that will work out for Musk if he doesn't first agree to terms with the powers that be.
 
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I am quite cynical myself. If an industry is totally dependent on taxpayer money -and would not exist without it - is it really a private commercial enterprise?

If SpaceX launches a Mars mission the commercial goal will be getting paid for government contracts; it won't do so as a private commercial venture because Mars is a low value wasteland at the bottom of a distant gravity well. A few rich people might buy in, but most will prefer the safety and luxury that wealth can buy on Earth.

Mars isn't the commercial opportunity, the taxpayer funding is the commercial opportunity. SpaceX hypes Mars colonisation, increasing popular support so governments commit to it - and then they get the contracts for Mars missions. It doesn't look like a real foundation for self perpetuating private commercial space enterprise to me.
 
Space X driven by Elon Musk is not only for money but also about opening new frontiers of human endeavor, from transportation, energy, communications and so-on including providing alternative to Russian great support for money we received in astronauts reaching the ISS.
Let us remmber other contractors are not picking speed and efficiency as much as Space X is doing of course money is a factor.
Their path will pave way for earlier and relaible return to Moon even after 50 years.
During Great national Objective to reach Moon all 140k contractors and personnel including some of us still here worked with spirit exceeding that of SpaceX today but national goals were driving efficiency then.

Apollo Achievement Award recipient Dr Ravi Sharma
 
Sep 4, 2020
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There is absolutely nothing new about what Space X is doing.

Everything ever done by NASA was done by private corporations. Everything. An eccentric founder is amusing but that doesn't change anything. He may supply the vision to make the leap to privately funded exploration but I doubt that. If there is profit in the venture and if he does it first good for him, but he will not do exploration. Nasa will do that to the extent that our military allows them.

If Space X launches a Mars mission the goal will be profit, and that's OK, but don't pretend that its something new. Fact is if the US military doesn't give Space X its blessing they will not succeed on Mars. If you doubt this ask someone that works for the RFSA how not having US blessing on Mars has worked out for them. Roscosmos execs will tell you how well that will work out for Musk if he doesn't first agree to terms with the powers that be.
If the military says no Musk will just move his technology to another country. The US is not the be-all end-all of space exploration.
 

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