SpaceX Falcon 9 Sucess

[CaptnKirk]

Yawn, how boring.

I am amazed as to how everyone ignores a truly pioneering event.

http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/06/04/4465072-spacex-fans-and-foes-speak-out


Now back to a video game, or Twitter, or Facebook, or nose picking . . . .

 

[StageLeft]

Humans got on the moon over 40 years ago and this manless rocket made it into space, what am I missing?

 

[Harabec]

Its a COMMERCIAL shuttle that will be capable of transporting cargo and humans. COMMERCIAL. And it works.
Yes, thats bigger news for modern society than a few dead terrorists on a boat.

 

[DrPizza]

I thought the lesson of the space shuttle was that it's stupid to build one device for both cargo & humans.

 

[herm0016]

this is more like a commercial apollo style rocket that will have similar uses to a saturn V, you can put a capsule of people on top, or a big ole' satellite/moon base section/ space station room...

nothing will come close to the shuttles capabilities, the shuttle was like the semi truck with material handling crane on the back of space. this and orion are just like flat beds. never again will we be able to go up, capture a satellite ( like hubble) fix it and change its orbit. with a single vehicle.

i am a big spacex fan though. they are doing some great things.

 

[Acanthus]

I think the biggest thing is the dramatic reduction in cost to get things in orbit.

 

[Trianon]

I concur, this is big, between this and Scaled Components advances, I am glad enthusiasts are getting into space business, and achieving success.

 

[Bowfinger]

Very cool. I hope they can make it turn it into a prosperous business.

 

[irishScott]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r41fsiGf2qo

 

[dmcowen674]

Yawn, how boring.

I am amazed as to how everyone ignores a truly pioneering event.

http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/06/04/4465072-spacex-fans-and-foes-speak-out


Now back to a video game, or Twitter, or Facebook, or nose picking . . . .

Major props to reaching orbit on first try.

 

[Exterous]

I concur, this is big, between this and Scaled Components advances, I am glad enthusiasts are getting into space business, and achieving success.

Yeah - I used to have more faith in NASA but they are too constrainined by the political ambitions of the government. Hopefully the promise of wealth can spur space development and expansion

 

[Exterous]

Yawn, how boring.

I am amazed as to how everyone ignores a truly pioneering event.

http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/06/04/4465072-spacex-fans-and-foes-speak-out


Now back to a video game, or Twitter, or Facebook, or nose picking . . . .

Thanks for informing us. Sadly the MSM could really care less. They are too busy with constant 24 hour coverage of two events: BP oil spill and the Israeli convoy incident. Sprinkle in a some scant coverage of the economy and the latest celebrity death/incident and thats all you can really expect these days from them

 

[Schadenfroh]

Good to hear, hopefully the private space industry will continue to see expansion and success.

 

[Danube]

Yay proof of private sector success being used to support Obama's bitch smacking of NASA.

So why is BO federalizing everything else (now even media is in sights) that has also worked better privately? Lots of contradictions here and they all make Obama look bad

 

[CaptnKirk]

NASA has not launced anything inot orbit that was not, in fact, a product of the private sector.
Lockheed, McDonnel-Douglas, Boeing, Rockwell - all are private sector companies.

What is different this time is that the SpaceX work is more privately funded by an 'Outsider',
and not a direct funding of the entire operation as a form of Corporate Welfare.

Lockheed and Boeing don't want to have to be forced to re-bid the contracts and loose their huge profits.
The cost differential is around a dime to a dollar, Billions Vs. Millions.

 

[Pneumothorax]

yawn... I'll get excited when they actually get a capsule with life support up into LEO and then land it safely afterwards.

 

[MovingTarget]

Yay proof of private sector success being used to support Obama's bitch smacking of NASA.

So why is BO federalizing everything else (now even media is in sights) that has also worked better privately? Lots of contradictions here and they all make Obama look bad

Federalizing everything else? Hardly.

There really isn't any contradiction here as only a fool would advocate a blanket policy of privatization OR federalization of industry. Sometimes privatization works wonders, but other times doing things in-house is better for everyone involved. It depends on the situation, actors involved, etc. etc.

This is an example of the private sector catching up with the public sector. They aren't there yet, but one day will be. The controversy arises whether such a shift to the private space access away from the Constellation program is a bit premature. I've been rooting for SpaceX, but I will hold my breath until they demonstrate a manned flight and/or some docking capability with the ISS.

 

[theeedude]

Weren't companies like Boeing and Lockheed that built previous rockets also private companies?

 

[tk149]

Good work! I hope that the privatization of the space industry will lead to increases in technology, without relying on the foibles of the president-of-the-day.

 

[CaptnKirk]

NASA Watch article about cost of Falcon 9 flight.

http://nasawatch.com/archives/2010/06/falcon-9-develo.html

It's 'El Cheapo Grande' (really, really inexpensive)

*Note: the 'Dragon' capsule was not a functional component, it was a mass simulator.
It mimics the size, dimensional constraints, and associated weight. (Mass)

 

[ElFenix]

Weren't companies like Boeing and Lockheed that built previous rockets also private companies?

yes, but they were government funded cronies. spacex, being the paypal of rocket companies, operates with a lot less .gov funding. which exposes them to risk. grumman faced probably 0 risk in developing the LEM, for instance.

 

[Hacp]

Less government, less unions, more freedom! I like. Grats to the 1000 scientists and engineers working on the SpaceX Falcon.