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the Saturn V developed by Boeing/NAA/Douglas in the 1960s could hurl three times as much weight to the moon as the Falcon Heavy True. At more than an order of
by lutorm 8y ago
the Saturn V developed by Boeing/NAA/Douglas in the 1960s could hurl three times as much weight to the moon as the Falcon Heavy
True. At more than an order of magnitude higher cost.
- rayiner 8y agoAchieving an order of magnitude cost reduction for proven technology is impressive, even given the intervening half century of progress. But similar achievements are routinely made in other industries. It doesn’t justify the breathless fanboyism Space X engenders.
- lutorm 8y agoMaybe because people think space is cool and there's been close to zero progress for decades before they came along? Or maybe because the goal is something more than just making money, something that clearly set them apart from the other entities in the field, at least when they started.
- frgtpsswrdlame 8y ago>Or maybe because the goal is something more than just making money Maybe they view their payoff date in a longer term fashion, maybe the way they will make their money is 'cool' but Space X isn't more charitable than any other company.
- lutorm 8y agoUnless you have unique insight into Elon's mind, I don't see how you have any idea about that.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- OrwellianChild 8y agoBut similar achievements are routinely made in other industries. You're applying generalizations to specifics. It is true that other industries have seen order-of-magnitude cost reductions. The companies that bring those innovations are frequently (and correctly) celebrated (see Henry Ford, et al.). SpaceX is that company in this industry, which has otherwise been stagnant for generations. Add to this the fact that space exploration has been aspirational and charismatic as a industry, and you have your justification.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]