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https://freakonomics.com/podcast/failure-is-your-friend-2/ https://freakonomics.com/podcast/failure-is-your-friend-2/ Space shuttle challenger disaster discuss

https://freakonomics.com/podcast/failure-is-your-friend-2/ https://freakonomics.com/podcast/failure-is-your-friend-2/ Space shuttle challenger disaster discussed at 17:35. Nobody is resenting anything cool, they are pointing out that when it comes to packing 4kt worth of explosives into a vehicle and flinging into the air you better take your time to get it right. This is a private company which is not directly accountable to the government as NASA would be. There won't be a congressional committee holding them to account or removing the people in charge if they fuck up. Sure they might get a good scolding from congress if they make mistakes, but they'll get to pay their way through the courts to shirk accountability. The fact that the FTS failed on top of all the other problems is cause enough for alarm and indicative that they are not being thorough enough. It was sloppy work, and when Elon opens his mouth about unrealistic timelines he is openly stating that he will continue to apply pressure on the team to rush things and cut corners for results. There is nothing cool about running an aerospace program like that.

zpeti 3y ago
Your point is a copy paste of every negative failed spacex launch reaction. Yet somehow they’re still the most successful rocket creating entity ever, and are close to creating a launch system that will reduce launch costs by 100x. So what exactly is not working here, and why are YOU so upset about it?
inglor_cz 3y ago
Falcon 9 Block 5 is literally the most reliable rocket of humanity as of today (the longest streak of successful launches ever), and on the top of it, partially reusable and fairly cheap to launch. It took several explosions (that you seem to consider "sloppy") to get there, but the result exceeds anything that competition came up with. There is an adage that people who love sausages shouldn't visit the meat plants where these are made. This is harder to do with the development process that SpaceX uses, given that it is all over the news and you can't easily escape the sight. But please do not confuse the development process with the end product. As of now, Starship is in the not-even-beta phase. Its current problems have no relation to how the mature rocket will perform. Note that, unlike other vendors, SpaceX didn't dare to launch human crew with their Falcon 9 until they were very sure that the rocket performs well and has a very good launch record. Compare this attitude to many other human-rated vehicles that actually killed astronauts. Nothing sloppy or rushed there.

zpeti 3y ago

Your point is a copy paste of every negative failed spacex launch reaction. Yet somehow they’re still the most successful rocket creating entity ever, and are close to creating a launch system that will reduce launch costs by 100x. So what exactly is not working here, and why are YOU so upset about it?

inglor_cz 3y ago

Falcon 9 Block 5 is literally the most reliable rocket of humanity as of today (the longest streak of successful launches ever), and on the top of it, partially reusable and fairly cheap to launch. It took several explosions (that you seem to consider "sloppy") to get there, but the result exceeds anything that competition came up with. There is an adage that people who love sausages shouldn't visit the meat plants where these are made. This is harder to do with the development process that SpaceX uses, given that it is all over the news and you can't easily escape the sight. But please do not confuse the development process with the end product. As of now, Starship is in the not-even-beta phase. Its current problems have no relation to how the mature rocket will perform. Note that, unlike other vendors, SpaceX didn't dare to launch human crew with their Falcon 9 until they were very sure that the rocket performs well and has a very good launch record. Compare this attitude to many other human-rated vehicles that actually killed astronauts. Nothing sloppy or rushed there.