3 ms·

They skipped the small/midsized orbital rocket stage and went straight to a huge orbital launch system which has been in development for a long time and is stil

by Retric 2y ago

They skipped the small/midsized orbital rocket stage and went straight to a huge orbital launch system which has been in development for a long time and is still unproven. New Shepard, their suborbital demonstrator, had it’s first flight 9 years ago. They could quickly prove themselves, but such a long period in development without successful orbital launches destroyed the hype.

dylan604 2y ago
Right, but they've sued NASA over not receiving bids that SpaceX won, so they clearly "feel" like they should be in the running. Seems like if they were so desperate to win bids, they should be challenging Boeing. Clearly, I'm not privy to internal NASA discussions on awarding bids, but at this point, there has to be serious discussions on looking for another vendor as Boeing is just not reliable and shows no signs of improving. If I were part Bezos' entourage, I'd have a crew capsule design ready to go to approach NASA with. The time has never been more ripe for a spoiler to enter the discussion.
- Retric 2y ago
  They have won other government contracts so they are in the running, I’m just talking about how the public feels. As to moon missions, building a capsule from scratch would take at least 5 years and more likely a decade plus a few billion dollars at this point. Putting another company in charge of Boeing’s operations could be viable, but having a 3rd party show up just doesn’t seem viable on any kind of reason timescale.
- imtringued 2y ago
  There isn't really a need for a competitor to Starliner or even Crew Dragon, because they were both designed for LEO re-entry. Crew Dragon in particular was overbuilt for LEO so that it can be used multiple times. While lunar re-entry is indeed possible, the vehicle wasn't designed for more than a one off mission. The missing link is a low cost reusable crew vehicle designed for carrying people between LEO and NRHO/LLO. Basically a competitor to Orion. While it is true in theory that a Starship could carry people to the moon and land them directly on the surface, the return trip isn't that easy and basically boils down to a second starship picking up astronauts from NRHO.

by Retric 2y ago

dylan604 2y ago

Right, but they've sued NASA over not receiving bids that SpaceX won, so they clearly "feel" like they should be in the running. Seems like if they were so desperate to win bids, they should be challenging Boeing. Clearly, I'm not privy to internal NASA discussions on awarding bids, but at this point, there has to be serious discussions on looking for another vendor as Boeing is just not reliable and shows no signs of improving. If I were part Bezos' entourage, I'd have a crew capsule design ready to go to approach NASA with. The time has never been more ripe for a spoiler to enter the discussion.

Retric 2y ago
They have won other government contracts so they are in the running, I’m just talking about how the public feels. As to moon missions, building a capsule from scratch would take at least 5 years and more likely a decade plus a few billion dollars at this point. Putting another company in charge of Boeing’s operations could be viable, but having a 3rd party show up just doesn’t seem viable on any kind of reason timescale.
imtringued 2y ago
There isn't really a need for a competitor to Starliner or even Crew Dragon, because they were both designed for LEO re-entry. Crew Dragon in particular was overbuilt for LEO so that it can be used multiple times. While lunar re-entry is indeed possible, the vehicle wasn't designed for more than a one off mission. The missing link is a low cost reusable crew vehicle designed for carrying people between LEO and NRHO/LLO. Basically a competitor to Orion. While it is true in theory that a Starship could carry people to the moon and land them directly on the surface, the return trip isn't that easy and basically boils down to a second starship picking up astronauts from NRHO.