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NASA chief suggests SpaceX may be booted from moon mission

cnn.com

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Re: NASA chief suggests SpaceX may be booted from moon mission

#491

Post by paganel »

allenrb wrote: post #373

There is just so much wrong with this from start to finish. Here are a few things, by no means inclusive: 1. We’ve already beaten China to the moon by 56 years, 3 months, and some change. And counting. 2. Nothing based around SLS is remotely serious. The cost and timeline of doing anything with it are unreasonable. It is an absolute dead-end. The SpaceX Super Heavy has been more capable arguably as early as the secon…

> 1. We’ve already beaten China to the moon by 56 years, 3 months, and some change. And counting.

The Portuguese used to have the best sea-worthy ships throughout the 1400s. They were soon followed by the Spanish. It didn't matter, because by the 1600s the Dutch, and then the English, had transformed the world's big seas and oceans into their playground.

In other words, if you don't use it you lose it, and right now the Americans need to "use" it, they need to show that they're still capable of getting to the Moon and beyond.

Re: NASA chief suggests SpaceX may be booted from moon mission

#492

Post by underlipton »

thinkingtoilet wrote: post #418
tibbydudeza wrote: post #414

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Chinese is planning a space habitat - the US is aiming for the same - it is rather different from the Apollo objectives. Mars is out of reach and not feasible.

Mars is entirely within reach if we wanted to dedicate the resources to it. If we can get to the moon over 50 years ago, Mars is nothing today. I don't necessarily think it would be worth it given the cost, but it is totally possible if it was a priority.

Space and the moon were so important that we famously put black female mathematicians on the job in the waning years of Jim Crow. The current admin is dismantling not just so-called DEI, but decades of civil rights protections that ultimately allowed things like SGI's 3D rendering pipeline to exist. This is just one of the myriad ways that America is not in any way serious about a task as monumental as reaching Mars with actual, human astronauts. It would require an intense and extreme dedication to facing factual reality, which we do not seem currently capable of. Rockets do not run on truthiness, they explode on it.

Re: NASA chief suggests SpaceX may be booted from moon mission

#493

Post by gpt5 »

timschmidt wrote: post #483
gpt5 wrote: post #480

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really don't get this sentiment. 80% of orbital launches last year were Americans. The USA hasn't been this dominant in the space race since the 60s.

99% of those were SpaceX

Exactly. The US private space industry is thriving and profitable. That's exactly what makes it so efficient and dominant.

Re: NASA chief suggests SpaceX may be booted from moon mission

#494

Post by evan_ »

cyberge99 wrote: post #345
sigmoid10 wrote: post #331

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

Which will backfire spectacularly when Obama is re-elected.

If they do this approach they will surely say that the constitutional limit is two consecutive terms, and since Trump's two terms were non-consecutive, he's still eligible to run again.

Re: NASA chief suggests SpaceX may be booted from moon mission

#495

Post by rkomorn »

alistairSH wrote: post #476
heavyset_go wrote: post #463

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The electronics we're typing these comments on were only rapidly miniaturized originally to be small and light enough to shoot into space. There are second, third, etc order effects to things like a space race.

Sure. So let’s do something useful and new. We know how to go to the moon - it’s just a matter of money (and political will). If there’s something else to do on the moon, let’s be clear that is the objective.

I actually think getting the political will, money, and execution together would be the part that would be a noteworthy show of force (and I'd argue being unable to get it done would be equally noteworthy in the other direction).

Re: NASA chief suggests SpaceX may be booted from moon mission

#496

Post by tcmart14 »

jrflowers wrote: post #376
vlovich123 wrote: post #336

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

No, but in Parson’s case using sex magic to attempt to summon a goddess named Babalon is a bit silly.

Hey look, some of us have sex for fun, and some of us have sex to summon ancient goddesses, that isn't so different now, is it? I don't kink shame.

Re: NASA chief suggests SpaceX may be booted from moon mission

#497

Post by zdragnar »

Waterluvian wrote: post #442
allenrb wrote: post #373

There is just so much wrong with this from start to finish. Here are a few things, by no means inclusive: 1. We’ve already beaten China to the moon by 56 years, 3 months, and some change. And counting. 2. Nothing based around SLS is remotely serious. The cost and timeline of doing anything with it are unreasonable. It is an absolute dead-end. The SpaceX Super Heavy has been more capable arguably as early as the secon…

Re: 1. I think the America of Theseus mindset is a bit troubling. A lot of people like to identify with achievements that they played no role in. Based on zero expertise whatsoever, I have a sense that this is a bit self defeating. To be born a winner, to be taught you’re a winner… how can that be healthy? Today’s America scores zero points for its accomplishments of the past. But I think one way it can be a good thi…

America cannot possibly win the space race again, because it has already been won. The first to get there has already happened.

The idea that we need to land on the moon once a generation just to say that we are as good at landing on the moon as our parents is absurd.

Re: NASA chief suggests SpaceX may be booted from moon mission

#498

Post by femto »

allenrb wrote: post #373

There is just so much wrong with this from start to finish. Here are a few things, by no means inclusive: 1. We’ve already beaten China to the moon by 56 years, 3 months, and some change. And counting. 2. Nothing based around SLS is remotely serious. The cost and timeline of doing anything with it are unreasonable. It is an absolute dead-end. The SpaceX Super Heavy has been more capable arguably as early as the secon…

> when we can accomplish something there

Realistically, the accomplishment will be a resource grab. It's not scientific. The moon will eventually be carved up by (disputed) territorial claims, like Antarctica. Countries will need to maintain bases to back their territorial claims. Eventually the claims will turn into mining rights. The resources are valuable for being in a reduced gravity zone. All those juicy water containing craters at the Lunar poles... [1]

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_water

Re: NASA chief suggests SpaceX may be booted from moon mission

#499

Post by Waterluvian »

gpt5 wrote: post #493
timschmidt wrote: post #483

Earlier quoted context omitted.

99% of those were SpaceX

Exactly. The US private space industry is thriving and profitable. That's exactly what makes it so efficient and dominant.

Capitalism is incredibly efficient this way and it really should be appreciated as being such an advantage. I wonder if it’s not a free advantage though. I suspect there’s a risk that it might diminish the ability to accomplish projects that aren’t compatible with capitalism. Ie. ROI isn’t sufficiently short term, ROI is socialized, no ROI at all, excessive risk.

An open question as I really don’t have an answer either way: what’s the last mega project the U.S. succeeded in completing that wasn’t directly tied to a short term business plan? Something for future generations or a major environmental project or a transportation or infrastructure project, etc.

Re: NASA chief suggests SpaceX may be booted from moon mission

#500

Post by ks2048 »

testing22321 wrote: post #440
dfee wrote: post #434

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'm not at all convinced the US can build anything anymore. But it has! Look at all of our private industry! That's the point! > We don't have titans of industry anymore. What?!

SpaceX and to a much lesser extent Tesla are good examples. Excluding those for a minute, what else does the US have world-leading manufacturing of? Semiconductors? Nope. High speed rail? Nope. Auto industry? Nope. Major infrastructure projects like bridges, tunnels, airports, etc? Nope. Electronics (phones/laptops/etc)? Nope. ????? The US is not exactly a manufacturing powerhouse.

Why mention Tesla in here?

They produce 1.8M cars/year while GM and Ford produce 6M and 4M, respectively. (2023. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_automotive_manufacture...)

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