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>Has been for now. So you confirm my argument. > their rockets are modular from the start (even Russia has trouble to get similar system I'm glad a US compan

>Has been for now. So you confirm my argument. > their rockets are modular from the start (even Russia has trouble to get similar system I'm glad a US company can do in 2014, what a cash strapped USSR couldn't in 1970/1980. Luckily there have been few technological innovations in the past 30 years to allow this to be a fair comparison. >3 Once again, we are hedging our bets on what may happen. Not what has. Until it happens its vaporware.

trhway 12y ago
>I'm glad a US company can do in 2014, what a cash strapped USSR couldn't in 1970/1980. actually it is cash rich Russia which is trying to do it today with much less success than SpaceX. >So you confirm my argument. my point here is that while the both functions have the same value, the SpaceX's has much higher first derivative at present and that, for all practical purposes, guarantees that it will be well ahead tomorrow
- ceejayoz 12y ago
  That Russia's oligarchs are rich doesn't really make Russia rich.
  - trhway 12y ago
    Russia as its government (not its people) has been very oil rich during the last decade. It is another question where it has directed the money though. It didn't have any issues to spend $50B for Olympic Games for example (of course most of this money were stolen by those oligarchs, like childhood friends of Putin). The issues with Russian space isn't money. It is widespread corruption which is able to drain any amount of money and lack of educated professionals. The "old guard" is retiring and new people are too young/inexperienced. People who should have come into the industry during the 199x are pretty much missing. Add to that especial Russian government and near-government corporate ineptitude, lack of modern technological base across the country, especially in electronics/communication... You should read how US (DoD) buys rocket engines from Russia - US buys them from Florida 5-guys shop (all guys are very well connected Russian guys, some of them are even officially sanctioned by US :) for say $10/engine while the Florida shop buys them from the Russian state corporation at $1/engine while the cost of the engine is something like $2/engine, so the Russian state is something like losing the money here :)
- lukeschlather 12y ago
  > actually it is cash rich Russia which is trying to do it today with much less success than SpaceX. Russia has put people in orbit on a yearly basis since the 60's. SpaceX is successful at coming up with promising designs, but it's quite a bit early to call them more successful than Russia.

trhway 12y ago

>I'm glad a US company can do in 2014, what a cash strapped USSR couldn't in 1970/1980. actually it is cash rich Russia which is trying to do it today with much less success than SpaceX. >So you confirm my argument. my point here is that while the both functions have the same value, the SpaceX's has much higher first derivative at present and that, for all practical purposes, guarantees that it will be well ahead tomorrow

ceejayoz 12y ago
That Russia's oligarchs are rich doesn't really make Russia rich.
- trhway 12y ago
  Russia as its government (not its people) has been very oil rich during the last decade. It is another question where it has directed the money though. It didn't have any issues to spend $50B for Olympic Games for example (of course most of this money were stolen by those oligarchs, like childhood friends of Putin). The issues with Russian space isn't money. It is widespread corruption which is able to drain any amount of money and lack of educated professionals. The "old guard" is retiring and new people are too young/inexperienced. People who should have come into the industry during the 199x are pretty much missing. Add to that especial Russian government and near-government corporate ineptitude, lack of modern technological base across the country, especially in electronics/communication... You should read how US (DoD) buys rocket engines from Russia - US buys them from Florida 5-guys shop (all guys are very well connected Russian guys, some of them are even officially sanctioned by US :) for say $10/engine while the Florida shop buys them from the Russian state corporation at $1/engine while the cost of the engine is something like $2/engine, so the Russian state is something like losing the money here :)
lukeschlather 12y ago
> actually it is cash rich Russia which is trying to do it today with much less success than SpaceX. Russia has put people in orbit on a yearly basis since the 60's. SpaceX is successful at coming up with promising designs, but it's quite a bit early to call them more successful than Russia.