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What? No. Orbital (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbital_Sciences_Corporation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbital_Sciences_Corporation) launched a rocket into
by spenczar5 10y ago
What? No. Orbital (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbital_Sciences_Corporation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbital_Sciences_Corporation) launched a rocket into space in 1990, entirely privately.
France [1], Japan [2], India [3], Israel [4], Iran [5], and even North Korea [6] have developed and launched rockets that successfully put satellites in orbit.
I like Elon as much as the next guy, but this mythologizing is just too much.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamant https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamant
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambda_(rocket_family) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambda_(rocket_family)
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_Launch_Vehicle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_Launch_Vehicle
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shavit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shavit
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safir_(rocket) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safir_(rocket)
[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unha https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unha
- RubberSpoon 10y agoIt's a misquote from the Elon Musk Wait But Why article: http://waitbutwhy.com/2015/05/elon-musk-the-worlds-raddest-man.html http://waitbutwhy.com/2015/05/elon-musk-the-worlds-raddest-m... "the four entities in history who have managed to launch a spacecraft into orbit and successfully return it to Earth are the US, Russia, China—and SpaceX"
- greglindahl 10y agoRubberSpoon is correct that the reference must be to re-entry. I'd like to add that the UK also put a single satellite in orbit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Arrow https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Arrow