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> Aftershock II is believed to be the world’s first civilian-built rocket to reach an altitude of 470,000 feet. Surely this first line, bolded and right below
by abeppu 2y ago
> Aftershock II is believed to be the world’s first civilian-built rocket to reach an altitude of 470,000 feet.
Surely this first line, bolded and right below the byline, isn't correct for our normal understanding of "civilian", is it? Like most rockets aren't military-built.
- seadan83 2y agoCivilian vs government - notably including NASA; not just military.
- abeppu 2y ago1. I've checked multiple places and consistently "civilian" is defined in contrast to military / armed forces/ police, but not in contrast to government in general. 2. But even among non-governmental groups, this claim doesn't make sense. Northrop Grumman, Arianespace and a bunch of other companies that are not governmental organizations (but may have government customers). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_spacecraft_manufacturers#Launch_vehicle_manufacturers_and_providers_of_third_party_services https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_spacecraft_manufacture...
- seadan83 2y agoGovernment contractors are working on behalf of the government. Ergo, not civilian. What sources have you checked for (1)? A counter example I would put forward is a police officer. They are not a civilian, nor are they military. What are they? Civilians in government can be a thing to distinguish military, but the actions of civilians on behalf of government are not civilian actions. Eg: "I am a civilian, I work for the government. When I do things on behalf of the government, it is not as a civilian."