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Nowadays going to the moon is so boring nobody remembers the successful launch of the SLS rocket. Everyone thinks it is rubbish and shouldn't exist. Meanwhile u
by imtringued 3y ago
Nowadays going to the moon is so boring nobody remembers the successful launch of the SLS rocket. Everyone thinks it is rubbish and shouldn't exist. Meanwhile unfinished rockets that can't go to the moon get praised for their failed launches despite the fact that the first stage is working flawlessly and there is literally nothing wrong with the spacecraft itself. The failure was provoked by an incompetently constructed launchpad. Now there is a bandaid attempt to fix the launchpad that will most likely not work and will set back work on a proper solution, which in itself would take more than a year.
But it's ok. We can hate on the SLS in the meantime and also hate on NASA accomplishing it's missions.
- jackmott42 3y agoI was very happy to see the SLS succeed on its first launch, they did a great job. But it is also a boondoggle of a project costing us billions and taking over a decade to reconfigure space shuttle components. The space shuttle was also an amazing accomplishment but also stupid, costing more than twice as much to get cargo to orbit than a normal rocket would have, while being more dangerous too. Starship meanwhile costs you nothing, and the "Fix" for the launchpad isn't a bandaid, it was planned before the old pad failed because they knew the old pad was failed, and if it works, it will be an order of magnitude cheaper than SLS. Might not work though! Good thing it doesn't cost taxpayers anything.
- rbanffy 3y agoSLS was the safe bet and I can't imagine NASA opting for a risky one - and should have been even safer had they reused more of the Shuttle's parts. Starship is yet to demonstrate the same capability. But yes. SLS is hideously expensive and severely limits our ability to leave the Earth.
- IshKebab 3y agoPeople think SLS is rubbish and shouldn't exist because it costs an insane amount and it's old tech. It's indefensible.