4 ms·

"Seems like the wrong time to be sending hundreds of millions of dollars to the Kremlin" -- Elon Musk He's certainly not making friends in Russia today. That s

"Seems like the wrong time to be sending hundreds of millions of dollars to the Kremlin" -- Elon Musk He's certainly not making friends in Russia today. That said, I feel like the ISS is too important to be left to the whims of the US Congress. IIRC NASA plans to deorbit the American part of it within the next decade, while Russia keeps the rest aloft and turns it into a waystation for planetary missions.

grinich 12y ago
Not many people know that he initially (pre-SpaceX) tried to buy a couple decommissioned ICBMs to send a plant to Mars. He was ready to write the check, and the Russians spiked the price at the last minute. So he's probably got a grudge or two.
- ash 12y ago
  I've heard of Russian ICBM story, but I haven't heard of this part before: > the Russians spiked the price at the last minute What's the source for this part?
  - grinich 12y ago
    They had two more trips scheduled to Russia; now Ressi decided, as he says, "I didn't like dealing with Russians," and told Musk he wasn't going back. Musk went anyway. On the second trip, Musk brought his wife, Justine — "I think that's the trip when the lead Russian designer started spitting at us," Cantrell says — and on the third and final trip he brought his money. He was ready to buy three Russian ICBMs for $21 million when the Russians told him that no, they meant $21 million for one. "They taunted him," Cantrell says. "They said, 'Oh, little boy, you don't have the money?' I said, 'Well, that's that.' I was sitting behind him on the flight back to London when he looked at me over the seat and said, 'I think we can build a rocket ourselves.'" http://www.esquire.com/features/americans-2012/elon-musk-interview-1212 http://www.esquire.com/features/americans-2012/elon-musk-int... It's a great article.
- rayiner 12y ago
  I doubt it's a grudge. Accusing your competitor of sending money to the Kremlin in a time when the U.S.-Russia relationship isn't exactly great is simply a well-executed political jab.
ericcumbee 12y ago
What is your source on that? According to a page on the NASA site from Oct 13. The Station is expected be operational through at least 2028.

grinich 12y ago

Not many people know that he initially (pre-SpaceX) tried to buy a couple decommissioned ICBMs to send a plant to Mars. He was ready to write the check, and the Russians spiked the price at the last minute. So he's probably got a grudge or two.

ash 12y ago
I've heard of Russian ICBM story, but I haven't heard of this part before: > the Russians spiked the price at the last minute What's the source for this part?
- grinich 12y ago
  They had two more trips scheduled to Russia; now Ressi decided, as he says, "I didn't like dealing with Russians," and told Musk he wasn't going back. Musk went anyway. On the second trip, Musk brought his wife, Justine — "I think that's the trip when the lead Russian designer started spitting at us," Cantrell says — and on the third and final trip he brought his money. He was ready to buy three Russian ICBMs for $21 million when the Russians told him that no, they meant $21 million for one. "They taunted him," Cantrell says. "They said, 'Oh, little boy, you don't have the money?' I said, 'Well, that's that.' I was sitting behind him on the flight back to London when he looked at me over the seat and said, 'I think we can build a rocket ourselves.'" http://www.esquire.com/features/americans-2012/elon-musk-interview-1212 http://www.esquire.com/features/americans-2012/elon-musk-int... It's a great article.
rayiner 12y ago
I doubt it's a grudge. Accusing your competitor of sending money to the Kremlin in a time when the U.S.-Russia relationship isn't exactly great is simply a well-executed political jab.

ericcumbee 12y ago

What is your source on that? According to a page on the NASA site from Oct 13. The Station is expected be operational through at least 2028.