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SpaceX's Starship: America's Secret Weapon
- ncmncm 5y agoI estimated that the scrap value of a Starship used to deliver combat freight, once the engines have been unshipped and sent home, is something around $60,000. Maybe more if the thrust puck is titanium. (Is it? It should be.) [Edit: I am wrong! Titanium scrap value is less than stainless steel.] No, there is no possibility of re-launching it. Picture used-up Starships littering a combat theatre after an assault.
- MisterBiggs 5y agoFor cargo point-to-point on Earth I could totally see a single use cargo pod on top of the booster instead of a starship. Very interesting to think about the logistics of whether they'll be able to refurbish and refuel starships in remote areas to launch and return home.
- guidoism 5y agoWell, shit.
- caffeine 5y agoAgreed.
- caffeine 5y agoMy fear here is: US government tells Elon to do this. Elon says no, I won’t build actual weapons. US government nationalises SpaceX. Now SpaceX is as effective as the US government (ie not at all) and can no longer produce anything useful. China wins. The end.
- mwattsun 5y agoReads to me like Musk and the US government are already working together.
- SideburnsOfDoom 5y ago> Elon says no, I won’t build actual weapons. a) Mr Musk is unlikely to say no. b) SpaceX won't be building "actual weapons" just ... ah, "payload delivery systems for the military" "Once the rockets are up, who cares where they come down? That's not my department." says Wernher von Braun
- sam_goody 5y agoReference is to Tom Lehrer, making fun of Von Braun's founding and running the Nazi's missile program, before emigrating to the U.S. and helping run _their_ missile program. OT: He ends with "[I can launch in] German and English, and am learning Chinese.. " - even 75 years ago it was understood by many that the upcoming superpower is China and not Russia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEJ9HrZq7Ro https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEJ9HrZq7Ro
- SideburnsOfDoom 5y ago"Don't say that he's hypocritical, Say rather that he's apolitical." I'm sure that this applies to Mr Musk as well. Specifically Mr Musk has met on good terms with the administrations of both of last 2 US presidents. He's not taking sides or avoiding anyone on some principle. That's why I think he would not say no to a big US government (military) contract.
- Uke 5y agofor the lucky 10000 today: https://youtu.be/QEJ9HrZq7Ro https://youtu.be/QEJ9HrZq7Ro
- albertopv 5y agoMusk is a republican, he sent spacex dishes to Ukraine, no way he is going to say no.
- cloutchaser 5y agoDo democrats disapprove of creating internet access for Ukrainians?
- Melting_Harps 5y ago> Do democrats disapprove of creating internet access for Ukrainians? I think what was said was used to denote that he will comply with State mandates in regards to what the DoD may need; moreover SpaceX and Tesla are big proponents of hiring Veterans and have several in key positions. It's sad reality, but people need to realize that aerospsace has and will likely remain an appendage of the military; it's an incredibly patriotic, borderline nationalistic, Industry: ITAR compliance of any and all workers in aerospace being critical for weeding out possible threats to the Industry is one critical reason why it's there. With that said, Musk is doing business with the CCP in China. I'm wondering that if in time it will be a bigger threat that they demand they breach his security in order to retain his company and not be nationalized. My opinion: The US DoD can just use continue to use Raytheon or Boeing to make all the murder-devices they need, there is really no need to have SpaceX involved at this point.
- willnonya 5y agoYou're misrepresenting both the aviation industry and ITAR compliance.
- Melting_Harps 5y ago> You're misrepresenting both the aviation industry and ITAR compliance. Then why don't you clarify things?
- SideburnsOfDoom 5y ago
- T-A 5y agohttps://www.space.com/spacex-air-force-102-million-dollar-contract-rocket-transport https://www.space.com/spacex-air-force-102-million-dollar-co...
- willnonya 5y agoHow common do you think it is for the us to nationalize any company or industry much less a potential defense contractor? There is simply no need to.
- lizardactivist 5y agoWhat a depressing, war-mongering article, that takes space exploration and gingerly looks at how it can be weaponized instead.
- KennyBlanken 5y agoDon't give it any heed. This is the same guy who wrote that e-bikes could be made cheaper by replacing the cog-and-chain drivetrain (which is extremely efficient) with a motor-generator combination (which is more expensive, heavier, and far less efficient.) He seems to love writing /r/iamverysmart garbage, pathologically unaware of how little he knows about the things he writes about.
- Melting_Harps 5y ago> He seems to love writing /r/iamverysmart garbage, pathologically unaware of how little he knows about the things he writes about. Isn't that all modern journalism has become, pay lip service to your fan base, do the occasional controversial thing to garner more eye balls, sell their data for targeted ads marketing: rinse and repeat? Personally speaking, as a space nerd, I'd love to tell you how the aerospace Industry isn't sewn at he hip to the weapons contractor industry, bu tth etruth all of aerospace has a deep MIC link. Just look at the backers of ULA and you will see who and how these things were optimized. I'm wondering if the reason SLS never took off was because they needed to iterative design to accommodate a weapons grade payload given who is behind them. With that said, I think we will hear this type of rhetoric will ramp up even more as China enters the space race as it takes over Russia since they seem intent on becoming the World's most sanctioned country in the World and will simply have no one to work with. Which is a shame because their are so many Cosomonauts who deserve to remain on the mission manifest and continue their work, but sadly dictatorships posion everything they touch and we cannot have security breaches with something so vital to the betterment of Humanity.
- jacknews 5y agoPeople who 'know what they are talking about' are quite often so buried in details they lose sight of possible futures. On the other hand idealists often simplify to the point of nonsense. The truth is usually somewhere in between. For example, in the case of his bicycle post, efficiency is almost irrelevant except for sports cyclists - the increasing number of people using electric-assisted bikes could well do without a chain and it's limitations, maintenance, etc. They want to get from A-B, while doing some exercise (but not too much).
- jacknews 5y agoIf it works, starship could indeed be revolutionary, but China is not Russia. I expect a working, and perhaps even cheaper, Chinese starship clone, in short order. America and the west's real secret weapon is the thing that produced starship. Free and open societies which foster enthusiastic innovation.
- willnonya 5y agoThat must be why "free and open societies" are under attack.
- freemint 5y ago> The range of weapons is constantly increasing. If an anti-ship missile with a 200-mile range is good, one with a 2000-mile range is better. Sorry, just no. Unless it also flies 10 times as fast it is an inferior weapon. Because if it is has a longer flight time then current missles it be shot down, the fact that it flies over more radared areas (because it flies further) doesn't help.