3 ms·

> Are SpaceX rockets a loser for society? That remains to be seen. By giving Musk the prominence to set up DOGE and destroy USAID, they've indirectly led to th

> Are SpaceX rockets a loser for society? That remains to be seen. By giving Musk the prominence to set up DOGE and destroy USAID, they've indirectly led to the deaths of almost a million people. By launching starlink, they're also increasing the amount of aluminum in the upper atmosphere, which may have catastrophic effects on the ozone layer.

WalterBright 6mo ago
Do government non-profit spacecraft not use aluminum? SpaceX rockets also are re-usable, which is environmentally better. They also cost about 10% of what non-profit rockets cost to launch. > they've indirectly led to the deaths of almost a million people. DOGE is a non-profit entity. Besides, why can't other non-profit governments pick up the aid?
- _DeadFred_ 6mo ago
  To your last point, because DOGE shut down programs in a such a way as to make that impossible, to the point they chose to let food rot, let medicines go bad, and stranded Americans overseas working on the projects without a way home.
  - WalterBright 6mo ago
    It's still a non-profit.
    - tombert 6mo ago
      That's debatable. Musk bought his way into politics and shut down USAID very specifically because USAID was investigating him [1]. Oh, and he used his position in DOGE to assist in making sure that government contracts went to his companies, or licensing out his SpaceX workers when his idiocy led to a shortage of air traffic controllers [2], which was very obviously a publicity stunt if nothing else. So it's a product that was bought and used to enrich a single person. Sure seems like a for-profit to me, at least in this administration. [1] https://www.newsweek.com/usaid-elon-musk-starlink-probe-ukraine-2027054 https://www.newsweek.com/usaid-elon-musk-starlink-probe-ukra... [2] https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/elon-musk-spacex-air-traffic-control-b2700192.html https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politic...
      - WalterBright 6mo ago
        Still non-profit
        tombert 6mo ago
        Only nominally.
- anonymous_user9 6mo ago
  The problem is the amount of aluminum. Government non-profit spacecraft do not use very much aluminum, because they don't launch thousands of LEO satellites per year. By building the first megaconstellation and kicking off competition, SpaceX is exposing humanity to different risks, namely ozone depletion and new mechanisms of climate change: [1] https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024GL109280 https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024GL10... [2] https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024JD042442 https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024JD04... > DOGE is a non-profit entity You seem to be saying that non-profit entities are incapable of killing people? Or that it's fine if non-profit entities do kill people? > Besides, why can't other non-profit governments pick up the aid? I think you're being obtuse. An analogy: "Sure I turned off the circuit breaker that was powering the life support machines, but why couldn't someone else bring in a UPS and plug them in to that?"
  - WalterBright 6mo ago
    Government non-profits also have little to no ability to create a starlink system.

WalterBright 6mo ago

Do government non-profit spacecraft not use aluminum? SpaceX rockets also are re-usable, which is environmentally better. They also cost about 10% of what non-profit rockets cost to launch. > they've indirectly led to the deaths of almost a million people. DOGE is a non-profit entity. Besides, why can't other non-profit governments pick up the aid?

_DeadFred_ 6mo ago
To your last point, because DOGE shut down programs in a such a way as to make that impossible, to the point they chose to let food rot, let medicines go bad, and stranded Americans overseas working on the projects without a way home.
- WalterBright 6mo ago
  It's still a non-profit.
  - tombert 6mo ago
    That's debatable. Musk bought his way into politics and shut down USAID very specifically because USAID was investigating him [1]. Oh, and he used his position in DOGE to assist in making sure that government contracts went to his companies, or licensing out his SpaceX workers when his idiocy led to a shortage of air traffic controllers [2], which was very obviously a publicity stunt if nothing else. So it's a product that was bought and used to enrich a single person. Sure seems like a for-profit to me, at least in this administration. [1] https://www.newsweek.com/usaid-elon-musk-starlink-probe-ukraine-2027054 https://www.newsweek.com/usaid-elon-musk-starlink-probe-ukra... [2] https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/elon-musk-spacex-air-traffic-control-b2700192.html https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politic...
    - WalterBright 6mo ago
      Still non-profit
      - tombert 6mo ago
        Only nominally.
anonymous_user9 6mo ago
The problem is the amount of aluminum. Government non-profit spacecraft do not use very much aluminum, because they don't launch thousands of LEO satellites per year. By building the first megaconstellation and kicking off competition, SpaceX is exposing humanity to different risks, namely ozone depletion and new mechanisms of climate change: [1] https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024GL109280 https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024GL10... [2] https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024JD042442 https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024JD04... > DOGE is a non-profit entity You seem to be saying that non-profit entities are incapable of killing people? Or that it's fine if non-profit entities do kill people? > Besides, why can't other non-profit governments pick up the aid? I think you're being obtuse. An analogy: "Sure I turned off the circuit breaker that was powering the life support machines, but why couldn't someone else bring in a UPS and plug them in to that?"
- WalterBright 6mo ago
  Government non-profits also have little to no ability to create a starlink system.