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SpaceX successfully launches two humans into orbit

nasa.gov

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Re: SpaceX successfully launches two humans into orbit

#241

Post by snoshy »

mam2 wrote: post #227
tectonic wrote: post #209

This is a huge success for NASA's Commercial Crew Program. Both the total development costs ($1.7B and $2.8B for Crew Dragon and Starliner, respectively) and the per-seat costs ($60-67M and $91-99M) have outperformed all other NASA crewed programs since the early days of the agency. For comparison, development costs for the Space Shuttle were $27.4B, while Orion is estimated at $23.7B. (From https://orbitalindex.com…

Yeah well even a mac pro nowadays is cheaper than a zx80 in the 90's

While it's undeniable that technological progress has reduced costs for space technologies over the past decades, this has not translated into reduced prices available to NASA. Much of this has to do with cost-plus contracts offered to Boeing, Lockheed, etc. as well as defense-driven propping up of these old-space contractors with little progress to show for NASA programs. What SpaceX is bringing to the table is a significant step up in capabilities offered to NASA at a fraction of the prices offered by Boeing et al.

Re: SpaceX successfully launches two humans into orbit

#243

Post by X6S1x6Okd1st »

sandworm101 wrote: post #206
babesh wrote: post #187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You just need to look further. You get access to rare materials that can be immensely valuable. Read https://www.amazon.com/Case-Space-Revolution-Spaceflight-Pos... Also with that short term outlook you wouldn’t have many things. The Internet was not initially commercial. It was designed to provide communications in the event of a nuclear attack. Yet here we are now and we have reaped immense benefits from that inves…

That's what I meant by "hold off". It isn't commercial until it is. Government-sponsored developmental programs may one day pave the way for commercial operations, but that hasn't happened yet. And the concept of space-mining likely will not involve people. We are already replacing men with machines in mines on earth because of associated costs. I imagine the first space miners won't be guys in spacesuits carrying sh…

Especially given that we'll need to leave the magnetosphere to access a lot of space mining. You either bring a ton of shielding+food+water+life support+crew quarters, or you advance autonomous operation. One of those is already happening and highly applicable to other fields.

Imo what ever comes after homo sapiens inherits the solar system, not homo sapiens ourselves

Re: SpaceX successfully launches two humans into orbit

#244

Post by _0w8t »

cma wrote: post #163
rrmm wrote: post #140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

SpaceX has brought the costs down a lot. Around $500mil for a shuttle launch.

Didn’t shuttle have a larger payload? Up to 8 people and larger cargo. NASA gave a $55million estimate on cost per seat on crew dragon, which would be about $440 million to launch 8 people. Not sure that is factoring in reusability once they are willing to use that for crew missions (or offset price reusing crew boosters on non crewed missions). Another issue with shuttle was reliability though. It may take hundreds…

2 people in the shuttle crew were pilots trained to land the shuttle. That was their primary job. Surely they were capable to do other things, but they could not be sent into the space for months and keep their skills intact. So the real number of seats was like 6.

Re: SpaceX successfully launches two humans into orbit

#245

Post by ycombonator »

How did SpaceX accelerate their development so fast ? What took NASA decades to achieve in terms of high tech rocketry SpaceX achieved in less than half the time. What are the factors ? The people Elon hired were ex NASA ? Where did the working knowledge come from ?I don’t think I found the answer anywhere on the internet.

Re: SpaceX successfully launches two humans into orbit

#246

Post by varjag »

justatestttt wrote: post #211
emit_time wrote: post #182

I'm surprised how I almost ended up tearing up and was close to crying while watching this. Saying this as someone who is not a huge NASA or space enthusiast. I did study physics, and I'm more into science than the average person though.

I pulled over on the side of the street to watch this with my kiddo on my phone. It was a historic moment that I didn't want to miss. I really wish that we didn't have to make EVERY experience ultra casual these days though...it was disorienting to keep hearing the astronauts referred to as "Bob and Doug". These are veteran Air Force and Marine pilots. They deserve their honorifics being honored if anyone does.

To be fair they called the president by the last name and honorific, in that brown-nosing speech towards the end of broadcast.

Re: SpaceX successfully launches two humans into orbit

#248

Post by DennisP »

sandworm101 wrote: post #160
ChuckMcM wrote: post #86

It is hard to convey how "sustainable" this feels to me. For the first time, humans have gone into orbit in a spacecraft that was designed from the ground up to be a commercial venture. All of the NASA missions prior to this have an ambience of "uneconomical but useful". Even the shuttle, which was supposed to be this cost effective space truck, turned out to be not even close. And the last thing I'm feeling is the a…

>> into orbit in a spacecraft that was designed from the ground up to be a commercial venture. If we are talking pure commercial travel, it is a vehicle without a destination. The ISS is definitely not a commercial project. There are lots of reasons for the ISS to exist, and they have changed over time, but it has never been a money-making venture. While the dragons certainly do come in under budget, they are a more…

Falcon/Dragon might not have a high-volume commercial future for human flight, but Starship Crew certainly will. With rapid full reusability the cost drops to the point where single-digit millionaires can afford a trip, and much larger space hotels are affordable to build.

Re: SpaceX successfully launches two humans into orbit

#250

Post by proactivesvcs »

justatestttt wrote: post #211
emit_time wrote: post #182

I'm surprised how I almost ended up tearing up and was close to crying while watching this. Saying this as someone who is not a huge NASA or space enthusiast. I did study physics, and I'm more into science than the average person though.

I pulled over on the side of the street to watch this with my kiddo on my phone. It was a historic moment that I didn't want to miss. I really wish that we didn't have to make EVERY experience ultra casual these days though...it was disorienting to keep hearing the astronauts referred to as "Bob and Doug". These are veteran Air Force and Marine pilots. They deserve their honorifics being honored if anyone does.

I think this is a change of the line between respect and approachability. By personalising the astronauts we make it easier for someone to aspire to be like these other, fellow human beings.

From what I've read and watched of the modern-era astronauts they are very keen to be inspirational to their successors and seem to have a more personable demeanour. I think this is a positive change and not so much a disrespect.

What really grinds my gears is science fiction that puts a group of people onboard some long space-faring mission where nobody is at all respectable, professional or suitable. I can believe warp drive, green aliens and Dyson spheres but not psychopaths and 18-year old children being put out to space to work. I have near-yelled at my screen more than once saying "You don't deserve to be there, you are a discredit!" :-)

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