SpaceX cleared for historic civilian launch next week

Post by SideburnsOfDoom » Mon, Sep 06, 2021, 2:24 PM UTC

enkid wrote: post #80

SideburnsOfDoom wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Crossing the Rubicon (Rubicon is a river)? "Today, the phrase crossing the Rubicon is a metaphor that means to pass a point of no return." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossing_the_Rubicon Overhyped or not; that's a perfectly valid metaphor to use to phrase it. I'd go with "milestone" which is less hype, but is also a metaphor, as no actual stone marking out a mile will be involved.

I think the poster is saying it's not really a single point if no return and therefore isn't a great analogy. Crossing the Rubicon was about a single act that so broke the status quo it was impossible to undo that. This is more about the accumulation of a bunch of small steps making minor adjustments to the status quo instead of a singular act.

Post by immmmmm » Mon, Sep 06, 2021, 2:44 PM UTC

leoedin wrote: post #68

xoa wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

None of which has anything whatsoever to do with the issue of AGW though. For the purposes of warming the planet, direct energy usage and emission by humanity is irrelevant (utterly swamped by solar insolation for starters). What's driving it is our changing the net levels of greenhouse gases and in turn the amount of energy retained vs radiated into space. So what matters for dealing with climate disruption is makin…

Generating rocket fuels with renewables will only be carbon neutral when we have an excess of renewable energy. Until then, either the solar panels would be better used to replace fossil fuel generation on the grid, or the synthesised methane would be better used to replace a more necessary use of fossil methane. It's hard to argue that a method of transport so incredibly energy inefficient will be a good thing until…

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Sep 06, 2021, 3:03 PM UTC

mattlondon wrote: post #3

tpmx wrote: post #2

Civilian 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…

Post by consumer451 » Mon, Sep 06, 2021, 3:22 PM UTC

chinathrow wrote: post #65

The view from the newly built cupola must be awesome. https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/c...

Post by zardo » Mon, Sep 06, 2021, 3:38 PM UTC

cblconfederate wrote: post #73

areoform wrote: post #45

We have crossed the rubicon. Hayley Arceneaux will become the first individual with a prosthesis to go to space. In the 60 year history of crewed spaceflight, we have never put a human with titanium bones in orbit. Nor, have we sent anyone up who has met any of the requirements to be otherwise classified as "disabled". Until now. It is the indicator of a profound tipping point. The very first astronauts were required…

One of the first animals to go to space was an untrained, probably uneducated and penniless female dog.