patrick.net

Also, WTF with lunar landers these days? Hardly any are successful except for the Chinese one.

Maybe go back to analog telemetry.

AmericanKulak says

American private enterprise

With government subsidies/contracts. And yes, other businesses get these, but there's no way SpaceX does this without government money and likely some high level management engineers involved from the likes of NASA that are still paid by NASA.

WookieMan says

With government subsidies/contracts. And yes, other businesses get these, but there's no way SpaceX does this without government money and likely some high level management engineers involved from the likes of NASA that are still paid by NASA.

Most of SpaceX's clients are now foreign countries (like ArabSat) and Starlink.

Compared to United Lobbyist Alliance, Roscosmos, and ESA, far more of a private business.

I will buy every damned share I can

Isn't it wild without CAD and no precedence we went from satellites to a moon landing in a decade, but Schlockmead-TaxmoneyShartin takes half a decade just to find out why a heat shield failed on a capsule design the basic form of which flew over half a century ago?

Another way to think about it, from the Lunar Flyby to several lunar landings in the same amount of time. Lockheed needs to be blacklisted from contracts, from the useless Littoral Combat Ship to the greatly delayed SLS (Itself 30 years in development as SDHLV) to the Orion Capsule to the F-35.

Elon won't go public until a Mars colony is self-sustaining. He won't submit to any fuckery like many have tried to do with his other companies.

AmericanKulak says

I will buy every damned share I can

Me too.

My TSLA gains since the election are enough to allow me to buy a Cybertruck if I want. I am going to be a long time HOLDER though!

The guy that absolutely revolutionized rocketry is also going to perfect full self driving and autonomy. We are almost there already.

https://x.com/amuse/status/1906655618993189254

German startup Isar Aerospace’s Spectrum rocket took off in Norway before it crashed. Rocketry is hard.

Rocketry is VERY hard.

SpaceX somehow makes it look easy.

Patrick says

German startup Isar Aerospace’s Spectrum rocket took off in Norway before it crashed. Rocketry is hard.

Maybe that German company should have dusted off a few of Hitler's V2s.

Looks like a leak in the seals. That's what killed the Challenger in the early 80's - temps are too cold, so flexible seals become inflexible.

I remember Dick Feynman in Congressional testimony putting the seal material compressed with a hose clamp in a glass of ice water, then pulling it out to show how the seal failed to snap back and remained compressed. This masterful simple experiment demolished the NASA and Thiokol damage control (professional lying) teams' arguments.

Feynman was a boss and a kick-ass scientist.

But what about the 13,728 or so EU regulations such a launch from Norway would have violated?

socal2 says

Rocketry is VERY hard.

SpaceX somehow makes it look easy.

It's not. Good 'ole Youtuber catches Musk off guard. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY73exaVpyw

It's math and engineering. NASA just hired dip shits. Just because you got a degree does not make you smart on the topic. It's the right people be it engineers or not. A car mechanic could probably teach you more on Rocketry.

Fuel and explosions were already known. You needed IT guys to figure out how to land the boosters. NASA just hired engineers willy nilly at high salaries because they knew someone. That's how they operated. That's why government is a failure. Musk will just fire you or make you resign.

His book, "Surely you're Joking, Mr. Feynman" is a hoot and very informative.
His physics book "Six Easy Pieces" is a keeper. Fair warning: it ain't so easy.

rocketjoe79 says

His book, "Surely you're Joking, Mr. Feynman" is a hoot and very informative.
His physics book "Six Easy Pieces" is a keeper. Fair warning: it ain't so easy.

His autobiography was great. I had to study a volume or two of the "Feynman Lectures on Physics" for my physics courses in college. They're online now, with more annotations. Good reads.

Superheavy Booster 14.2, already used on a previous Starship flight where it landed flawlessly, was just static fired with 28 of 32 of it's original engines. 4 new engines were added and performed flawlessly.

This will be used to launch the next version of Spaceship, the Upper Stage, for Flight 9.

So already Starship will perhaps see a reuseable component.

Space X is a poor investment in my opinion.
There is a limit to how much government work they can get, unlike selling iPhones to the unwashed masses.

Elon said often that the profits from anything space related will be plowed into his insane scheme to "colonize Mars."

Rotsa ruck.

clambo says

Space X is a poor investment in my opinion.
There is a limit to how much government work they can get, unlike selling iPhones to the unwashed masses.

Elon said often that the profits from anything space related will be plowed into his insane scheme to "colonize Mars."

Rotsa ruck.

SpaceX will never be publicly traded in Musk's lifetime, or until humans on Mars are self-sustaining. However, the rate of investment in SpaceX is large, with estimates of Net Worth from $350 Bn to $405 Bn. SpaceX owns Starlink, which is already cash flow positive, and growing subscribers exponentially. 500 Commercial planes are using Starlink, with about 3000 future installs projected. Offshore Oils rigs, Rural Broadband, etc. will also provide more revenue. This will provide funding for Mars launches, along with Commercial and Government Space Launch revenues.