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Mixed feelings. I suppose it's important to have competition/alternatives to SpaceX, but does it have to be done in such a sluggish manner by one the most unlik

Mixed feelings. I suppose it's important to have competition/alternatives to SpaceX, but does it have to be done in such a sluggish manner by one the most unlikable people in the world?

nrmitchi 5y ago
> such a sluggish manner Can you elaborate? I'm not sure "sluggish" is an adverb I would use to describe space launches.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- FredFS456 5y ago
  Blue Origin is funded by Bezos with much more resources/year than SpaceX, yet has achieved far less over a longer time since founding. "Sluggish" is the adverb I would use to describe its engineering progress.
jbverschoor 5y ago
And purely for egotistical reasons...
- fighterpilot 5y ago
  What a silly statement. No, you don't have the ability to read Bezos' mind from your armchair. My 2c - it's great that billionaires are starting important businesses that are highly capital intensive, since those types of businesses are more inaccessible to newer entrepreneurs.
basisword 5y ago
I hate to break it to you but Musk is just as unlikeable. Why does it matter who does it though? It’s a great achievement and could lead to great things. I’d much rather people like Bezos were spending money on this than mansions, supercars, and other crap that doesn’t benefit anyone.
- jacquesm 5y ago
  Bezos is so rich that he has plenty left to spend on mansions and supercars.
- selykg 5y ago
  > I hate to break it to you but Musk is just as unlikeable. Right? I don't get the guy's appeal. Yes, SpaceX and Tesla are doing neat things and I love that. But Musk is literally the last person I want to hear from, or about. Despite all the cool stuff Tesla is doing, he really makes me not want to buy anything from Tesla ever just because he's associated with it. Perhaps a bit dramatic, but I really can't stand the guy.
  - rvz 5y ago
    > he really makes me not want to buy anything from Tesla ever just because he's associated with it. Maybe people like him because he knows how to overpromise (and lie) to his loyal Tesla fanbase and give them a product that doesn't function as advertised. They knew FSD (Fools Self Driving) was never going to be Level 5 and still promised it and missed their own deadlines and was admittedly Level 2. Now they introduce a subscription package to a broken product feature even though his customers have already paid for it! Perhaps Musk is clever at playing his Tesla customers or the fanatics just love getting scammed by him. Maybe both.
  - enraged_camel 5y ago
    >> I hate to break it to you but Musk is just as unlikeable. I had long suspected that he's on the spectrum, and earlier this year he came out and openly talked about his Asperger's diagnosis. That's not to say that excuses his terrible treatment of other people, but it sure explains it.
    - selykg 5y ago
      Well, that makes some amount of sense. Certainly doesn't excuse it. Perhaps he needs to rethink how he communicates with people, maybe putting someone between himself and how he communicates with the public. "No, Elon, think about what this could possibly do if you said this" type of person. Either way. He's super polarizing. Some people love him. Some people totally despise him. It's probably clear which side I'm on lol
q1w2 5y ago
I don't see this sort of joy-riding as a material competition to what SpaceX is doing. It's not even clear to me that that is their objective. These sub-orbital flights are not interesting - scientifically nor engineeringly.
- rrss 5y ago
  Their objective is to make money through space tourism.

Mixed feelings. I suppose it's important to have competition/alternatives to SpaceX, but does it have to be done in such a sluggish manner by one the most unlikable people in the world?

nrmitchi 5y ago

> such a sluggish manner Can you elaborate? I'm not sure "sluggish" is an adverb I would use to describe space launches.

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
FredFS456 5y ago
Blue Origin is funded by Bezos with much more resources/year than SpaceX, yet has achieved far less over a longer time since founding. "Sluggish" is the adverb I would use to describe its engineering progress.

jbverschoor 5y ago

And purely for egotistical reasons...

fighterpilot 5y ago
What a silly statement. No, you don't have the ability to read Bezos' mind from your armchair. My 2c - it's great that billionaires are starting important businesses that are highly capital intensive, since those types of businesses are more inaccessible to newer entrepreneurs.

basisword 5y ago

I hate to break it to you but Musk is just as unlikeable. Why does it matter who does it though? It’s a great achievement and could lead to great things. I’d much rather people like Bezos were spending money on this than mansions, supercars, and other crap that doesn’t benefit anyone.

jacquesm 5y ago
Bezos is so rich that he has plenty left to spend on mansions and supercars.
selykg 5y ago
> I hate to break it to you but Musk is just as unlikeable. Right? I don't get the guy's appeal. Yes, SpaceX and Tesla are doing neat things and I love that. But Musk is literally the last person I want to hear from, or about. Despite all the cool stuff Tesla is doing, he really makes me not want to buy anything from Tesla ever just because he's associated with it. Perhaps a bit dramatic, but I really can't stand the guy.
- rvz 5y ago
  > he really makes me not want to buy anything from Tesla ever just because he's associated with it. Maybe people like him because he knows how to overpromise (and lie) to his loyal Tesla fanbase and give them a product that doesn't function as advertised. They knew FSD (Fools Self Driving) was never going to be Level 5 and still promised it and missed their own deadlines and was admittedly Level 2. Now they introduce a subscription package to a broken product feature even though his customers have already paid for it! Perhaps Musk is clever at playing his Tesla customers or the fanatics just love getting scammed by him. Maybe both.
- enraged_camel 5y ago
  >> I hate to break it to you but Musk is just as unlikeable. I had long suspected that he's on the spectrum, and earlier this year he came out and openly talked about his Asperger's diagnosis. That's not to say that excuses his terrible treatment of other people, but it sure explains it.
  - selykg 5y ago
    Well, that makes some amount of sense. Certainly doesn't excuse it. Perhaps he needs to rethink how he communicates with people, maybe putting someone between himself and how he communicates with the public. "No, Elon, think about what this could possibly do if you said this" type of person. Either way. He's super polarizing. Some people love him. Some people totally despise him. It's probably clear which side I'm on lol

q1w2 5y ago

I don't see this sort of joy-riding as a material competition to what SpaceX is doing. It's not even clear to me that that is their objective. These sub-orbital flights are not interesting - scientifically nor engineeringly.

rrss 5y ago
Their objective is to make money through space tourism.