Space X/NASA launch
- Thread starter clonedude
- Start date
I agree, 20 billion per year is only 0.45% of the total US yearly budget. Not even half of one percent.
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Amazing to keep the perspective of time here - one of these things is not like the other.
1903 - 1969 (66 years): Inventing flight to landing on the moon!
1969 - 2020 (51 years): 4 years of subsequent moon landings to....years of experiments in low-earth orbit
1903 - 1969 (66 years): Inventing flight to landing on the moon!
1969 - 2020 (51 years): 4 years of subsequent moon landings to....years of experiments in low-earth orbit
I haven't followed SpaceX too closely, but I think they gave up on recovering the second stage several years ago.
To be fair, we have landed rovers on Mars, and have sent a space craft out of our solar system over the last 51 years.
Yes. The economy and all the big things like this are a public-private partnership
Landed several rovers and operated for many years and collected amazing data. Explored the solar system, planets, moons, and dwarf planets. Sent spacecraft beyond our solar system. Landed craft on comets and asteroids
The original post minimized and oversimplified what we’ve accomplished. But, I agree with the premise that we should do much more.
It also comes down to limiting technologies.
Yep...include it if you’d like. Not trying to discredit anything...I was looking at milestones of physical human exploration. The stark contrast in that level of achievement over roughly the same time period is amazing. It took ~30 years to get a rover on Mars and a space station in low earth orbit after landing on the moon...imagine how far we’d be with the same exponential intensity.
I hope we never get tired of how cool this all is. Made my 5 year old son watch with me.
And referring to them as Bob and Doug reminds me of the McKenzie Brothers.
While this all very exciting. I cant help but think of the time the Top Gear boys decided to try and turn a Reliant Robin into a space shuttle.
Glad the launch today was more successful.
Glad the launch today was more successful.
I said this to my dad and he was disagreeing with me until i pulled up the picture.
When I saw the launch I couldn’t help, for the first time, thinking “yeah, we could actually see public space flight happen in my lifetime.
Kinda cool.
Kinda cool.
After watching the launch live earlier today, was thrilling to see a brilliantly lit ISS pass over central Iowa this evening, followed closely behind by the Crew Dragon capsule racing to catch up to it! Even better that I got to share the moment with my impressionable 14 y.o. daughter! Very cool & memorable experience.
20 years ago, the U.S. had about 15% of the world-wide commercial launch market, and that market share was dwindling. Today, the U.S. controls about 80% of the world-wide commercial launch market, and the Russians and Chinese are pissed!
It is entirely due to SpaceX lowering the costs by re-using the first-stage boosters. Even the Chinese can't compete with SpaceX's prices.
