3 ms·

DOD is already SpaceX's biggest customer. It's probably already in the weapons game, but that's not something you're going to hear about, because it would be cl

by Stevvo 4y ago

DOD is already SpaceX's biggest customer. It's probably already in the weapons game, but that's not something you're going to hear about, because it would be classified.

jkeddo 4y ago
https://www.military.com/off-duty/2020/12/22/these-air-force-rods-god-could-hit-force-of-nuclear-weapon.html#:~:text=The%20%E2%80%9Crods%20from%20God%E2%80%9D%20idea,times%20the%20speed%20of%20sound https://www.military.com/off-duty/2020/12/22/these-air-force....
asadotzler 4y ago
DOD is not SpaceX's biggest customers. Though their launch payloads are often classified, that they're launching DOD payloads isn't classified and given the contracts that are public as reasonable proxies for the ones that aren't, there's simply no chance the DOD's manifest is SpaceX's biggest in terms of launches or dollars. NASA, for example, launches on SpaceX way more often than DOD. You can easily count the launches yourself by reviewing SpaceX's historical manifest on Wikipedia. I think there have been 6 or 7 DOD launches in the last three years while there have been 15 or 16 NASA launches in the same time period. Some DOD launches are a bit more lucrative than some NASA launches, but the inverse is also true. You might go on to assert that SpaceX has other DOD projects like its Starlink/missile tracking and E2E cargo (and potentially troop) delivery (and even money for Raptor dev and other smaller programs like the long ago DARPA investment in Falcon 1) but it's clear from various reporting that those are tiny investments compared to a year or three's worth of orbital launches. Yes, the USG is SpaceX's biggest customer. No, the DOD is not SpaceX's biggest USG customer. That title, for now, belongs squarely to NASA.
- Stevvo 4y ago
  Your info is out of date. The tides have turned. Look at the list of launches for 2022. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Falcon_9_and_Falcon_Heavy_launches https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Falcon_9_and_Falcon_He... You can see, clearly, far more launches for DOD umbrella agencies than for NASA.

by Stevvo 4y ago

DOD is already SpaceX's biggest customer. It's probably already in the weapons game, but that's not something you're going to hear about, because it would be classified.

jkeddo 4y ago

https://www.military.com/off-duty/2020/12/22/these-air-force-rods-god-could-hit-force-of-nuclear-weapon.html#:~:text=The%20%E2%80%9Crods%20from%20God%E2%80%9D%20idea,times%20the%20speed%20of%20sound https://www.military.com/off-duty/2020/12/22/these-air-force....

asadotzler 4y ago

DOD is not SpaceX's biggest customers. Though their launch payloads are often classified, that they're launching DOD payloads isn't classified and given the contracts that are public as reasonable proxies for the ones that aren't, there's simply no chance the DOD's manifest is SpaceX's biggest in terms of launches or dollars. NASA, for example, launches on SpaceX way more often than DOD. You can easily count the launches yourself by reviewing SpaceX's historical manifest on Wikipedia. I think there have been 6 or 7 DOD launches in the last three years while there have been 15 or 16 NASA launches in the same time period. Some DOD launches are a bit more lucrative than some NASA launches, but the inverse is also true. You might go on to assert that SpaceX has other DOD projects like its Starlink/missile tracking and E2E cargo (and potentially troop) delivery (and even money for Raptor dev and other smaller programs like the long ago DARPA investment in Falcon 1) but it's clear from various reporting that those are tiny investments compared to a year or three's worth of orbital launches. Yes, the USG is SpaceX's biggest customer. No, the DOD is not SpaceX's biggest USG customer. That title, for now, belongs squarely to NASA.

Stevvo 4y ago
Your info is out of date. The tides have turned. Look at the list of launches for 2022. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Falcon_9_and_Falcon_Heavy_launches https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Falcon_9_and_Falcon_He... You can see, clearly, far more launches for DOD umbrella agencies than for NASA.