Is this really progress, or have we taken a huge step backwards from the NASA days? Keep in mind, a collaboration between NASA, Russia (for launches) the CSA an

Is this really progress, or have we taken a huge step backwards from the NASA days? Keep in mind, a collaboration between NASA, Russia (for launches) the CSA and ESA helped build the International Space Station. The space shuttles had some design problems, but they lasted for decades. NASA rockets cost a lot, but SpaceX is heavily subsidized. I don't want to diminish what SpaceX, Rocket Lab, et. al. are doing. It's incredibly impressive and important. I realize a lot of NASA was cold war tech was a hidden way to invest in ICBMs. I wish it wasn't that way. I wish space exploration wasn't growing private. It wish it were open, publicly funded; without secrecy, corporate work and non-disclosures. > The Falcon Heavy won't surpass NASA's Saturn V moon rocket, still all-time king of the launch circuit. It won't even approach the liftoff might of NASA's space shuttles. Then why? Tax payer dollars are going to subsidize private rocket research. The SpaceX videos are more sensationalized than any NASA launches. Back in the 60s, NASA scientists envisioned space stations with 10k person capacities by 2010. The Biosphere II hit some major problems, Challenger exploded and tons of other issues started to chill everyone's expectations. That future that was so hopeful started to fade. We praise Space X, and some of Musk's absolutely fucking retarded ideas, along with his many successes. Somehow, I feel like, a few decades ago, scientists in this field thought we'd be much further than we are right now. They promised themselves so much...