I don't think we'll ever know how hard it was for a private space startup to convince NASA and the international community to let them dock with the ISS and to work with them to make it happen. Elon Musk is a legend.
Could definitely happen in New Zealand. Same can-do attitude, and we have some pretty technical small companies here; just not much money or population base.
To be honest, I don't really get the hubbub about this launch. It's a business innovation, not a scientific one. We've been putting unmanned rockets into space for 70 years.
It's amazing how exciting this is. It's not as if it's the first time humans have sent an automated delivery capsule into space, yet it feels like a game changing event.
Co-incidentally I read a post on HN this morning arguing that the iPhone wasn't special. We already had phones, and palm computers, and downloadable apps. It was no big deal.
In the case of both SpaceX and Apple thy've taken something that's existed already, but made it accessible. With SaceX the massively reduced costs has made dreams possible that we all thought were dead. With the iPhone they made a hand computer that my wife's sister, who's hardly ever used a computer in her life, could pick up and understand and fall in love with in minutes.
When you take an existing technology, but cut the barriers to entry radically lower (barriers in terms of cost, or usability, whatever) then you have something special. Amazon did this with online shopping, facebook did it with social networks (orkut was a clunky piece of junk - been there). Instagram did it with photo sharing, dropbox did it with file sharing.
Identify barriers, in whatever form you find them, and knock them flat. That's where the opportunities are.
Ain't nothin' wrong with the web. It is rapidly becoming the backbone of communication, business, and industry. Whether it's "web" stuff or "book" stuff or "physical" stuff, just make sure that at the end of the day whatever "stuff" you're working on is something you can be proud of.
It truly makes me feel what I do is not worth while at all. It's just amazing how far we have come. Imagine in the future when kids and adults will no longer feel like getting a rocket in to space is any kind of achievement.
This is a long read but worth the historical perspective, it's the Apollo 11 landing, annotated transcripts of the voice communications between mission control and the astronauts:
It's interesting to see how long a lot of the people at SpaceX have been with SpaceX; it's different from most startups. People who had 20+ year careers with USAF or NASA before joining SpaceX back in 2003-2006, and have been there ever since.
Wow that was just fucking awesome in all ways. I really feel pumped up to go to space after watching that. Thank you SpaceX and Elon Musk for unlocking the next frontier.
>"Once in orbit, it will take three days for the Dragon to reach the ISS, and two >more days of pre-docking maneuvers to ensure everything is in order before >finally meeting the ISS on the fifth day of the mission. After nine days at the >station, the ISS crew will load the Dragon with return cargo which will be >recovered after the spacecraft splashes down in the Pacific ocean."
It was truly surreal to stand in the middle of a prairie about 120 miles from Cape Canaveral, have the live cast in the palm of my hand, and watch the rocket off in the distance.
[+] [-] mmaunder|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] sasha-dv|14 years ago|reply
... and an inspiration!
I'm done with CRUD-ing my life away. It's time to tackle some hard problems.
[+] [-] napoleoncomplex|14 years ago|reply
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2_49KPj9jE
And a few moments in the vid which really show how much it means to the team:
Solar panels deploying: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v...
The ground crew after the launch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v...
[+] [-] plinkplonk|14 years ago|reply
Well done, Americans! Be proud!
(non US citizen, fwiw)
[+] [-] smagch|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] asw456|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] wheels|14 years ago|reply
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_private_spaceflight_com...
To be honest, I don't really get the hubbub about this launch. It's a business innovation, not a scientific one. We've been putting unmanned rockets into space for 70 years.
[+] [-] simonh|14 years ago|reply
Co-incidentally I read a post on HN this morning arguing that the iPhone wasn't special. We already had phones, and palm computers, and downloadable apps. It was no big deal.
In the case of both SpaceX and Apple thy've taken something that's existed already, but made it accessible. With SaceX the massively reduced costs has made dreams possible that we all thought were dead. With the iPhone they made a hand computer that my wife's sister, who's hardly ever used a computer in her life, could pick up and understand and fall in love with in minutes.
When you take an existing technology, but cut the barriers to entry radically lower (barriers in terms of cost, or usability, whatever) then you have something special. Amazon did this with online shopping, facebook did it with social networks (orkut was a clunky piece of junk - been there). Instagram did it with photo sharing, dropbox did it with file sharing.
Identify barriers, in whatever form you find them, and knock them flat. That's where the opportunities are.
[+] [-] nkoren|14 years ago|reply
"And the next day is... Hatch opening day!! YAY!!!" <Does the Happy Dance>
"Everything is, uh, go, so we're ready to rock'n'roll!!!"
I get the sense that the enthusiasm is completely unscripted.
[+] [-] hinathan|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Swizec|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ErrantX|14 years ago|reply
Today you are doing web stuff. Tomorrow...
[+] [-] InclinedPlane|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] coenhyde|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mparlane|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] revorad|14 years ago|reply
There will be web apps on Mars too. The question is - will they still be slower than native?
[+] [-] dakrisht|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] est|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] reason|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] reneherse|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] topbanana|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] hinathan|14 years ago|reply
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/a11.landing.html
[+] [-] ubernostrum|14 years ago|reply
http://spacelog.org/
[+] [-] haberman|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] rplnt|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] est|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mukaiji|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] rdl|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] tanvach|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] DavidSJ|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] pirateking|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mmaunder|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] godbolev|14 years ago|reply
http://www.geekosystem.com/spacex-iss-mission-tomorrow/
[+] [-] ErrantX|14 years ago|reply
And away she goes
[+] [-] possibilistic|14 years ago|reply
Way to go, Elon! If you can keep this up, history isn't going to forget you.
[+] [-] ortusdux|14 years ago|reply