SpaceX cleared for historic civilian launch next week
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Re: SpaceX cleared for historic civilian launch next week
#2Civilian apparently meaning non-government here, not non-military.
I guess not to be confused with https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:NASA_civilian_astrona...
Re: SpaceX cleared for historic civilian launch next week
#3Civilian apparently meaning non-government here, not non-military. I guess not to be confused with https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:NASA_civilian_astrona...
I think the point here is, this is the first "private" space mission that wasn't using government/military hardware or staff.
It is a rocket designed by a commercial company, flying people who just made a few calls and then paid to do it.
It is pretty wild when you think about it - not so long ago (10 years maybe?) this sort of thing would have been unthinkable.
Say what you will about Elon Musk, but you've got to give the guy credit for SpaceX and Tesla for that matter - I suspect history will look back on SpaceX and Tesla as being quite significant inflection points. It feels like we are at the Model-T or early commercial jet flight stage here but for spaceflight and EVs. What was once only for the super rich and gov/mil is now becoming available to more people, with rapid iteration/improvements and lower prices. More of it please!
Re: SpaceX cleared for historic civilian launch next week
#4Civilian apparently meaning non-government here, not non-military. I guess not to be confused with https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:NASA_civilian_astrona...
I think the point here is, this is the first "private" space mission that wasn't using government/military hardware or staff. It is a rocket designed by a commercial company, flying people who just made a few calls and then paid to do it. It is pretty wild when you think about it - not so long ago (10 years maybe?) this sort of thing would have been unthinkable . Say what you will about Elon Musk, but you've got to g…
Wouldn't Virgin Galactic's flight be the first for this then?
Re: SpaceX cleared for historic civilian launch next week
#5Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think the point here is, this is the first "private" space mission that wasn't using government/military hardware or staff. It is a rocket designed by a commercial company, flying people who just made a few calls and then paid to do it. It is pretty wild when you think about it - not so long ago (10 years maybe?) this sort of thing would have been unthinkable . Say what you will about Elon Musk, but you've got to g…
Wouldn't Virgin Galactic's flight be the first for this then?
That would be the first private space flight, while this is the first private orbital flight.
Re: SpaceX cleared for historic civilian launch next week
#6Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think the point here is, this is the first "private" space mission that wasn't using government/military hardware or staff. It is a rocket designed by a commercial company, flying people who just made a few calls and then paid to do it. It is pretty wild when you think about it - not so long ago (10 years maybe?) this sort of thing would have been unthinkable . Say what you will about Elon Musk, but you've got to g…
Wouldn't Virgin Galactic's flight be the first for this then?
Depends on your definition of ‘space mission’, I suppose.
But clearly there is a difference between a suborbital flight with a few minutes of weightlessness and a flight that orbits for three days.
Re: SpaceX cleared for historic civilian launch next week
#7Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think the point here is, this is the first "private" space mission that wasn't using government/military hardware or staff. It is a rocket designed by a commercial company, flying people who just made a few calls and then paid to do it. It is pretty wild when you think about it - not so long ago (10 years maybe?) this sort of thing would have been unthinkable . Say what you will about Elon Musk, but you've got to g…
Wouldn't Virgin Galactic's flight be the first for this then?
How often the VSS Unity fly around the planet?
Re: SpaceX cleared for historic civilian launch next week
#8Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think the point here is, this is the first "private" space mission that wasn't using government/military hardware or staff. It is a rocket designed by a commercial company, flying people who just made a few calls and then paid to do it. It is pretty wild when you think about it - not so long ago (10 years maybe?) this sort of thing would have been unthinkable . Say what you will about Elon Musk, but you've got to g…
Wouldn't Virgin Galactic's flight be the first for this then?
Surely the SpaceShipOne flight whose tech the Virgin Galactic’s flight was based on?
Re: SpaceX cleared for historic civilian launch next week
#9Civilian apparently meaning non-government here, not non-military. I guess not to be confused with https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:NASA_civilian_astrona...
I think the point here is, this is the first "private" space mission that wasn't using government/military hardware or staff. It is a rocket designed by a commercial company, flying people who just made a few calls and then paid to do it. It is pretty wild when you think about it - not so long ago (10 years maybe?) this sort of thing would have been unthinkable . Say what you will about Elon Musk, but you've got to g…
It was a thing 10-20 years ago already. Civilians paid for a trip (on the Soyuz iirc) and got it. It was just very expensive.
Re: SpaceX cleared for historic civilian launch next week
#10Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think the point here is, this is the first "private" space mission that wasn't using government/military hardware or staff. It is a rocket designed by a commercial company, flying people who just made a few calls and then paid to do it. It is pretty wild when you think about it - not so long ago (10 years maybe?) this sort of thing would have been unthinkable . Say what you will about Elon Musk, but you've got to g…
It was a thing 10-20 years ago already. Civilians paid for a trip (on the Soyuz iirc) and got it. It was just very expensive.
The Soyuz is a part of the Russian government driven space project.