Funny, I'd say that for all of SpaceX's innovation and successes, Starship and its owner represent of some of the greatest expressions of humanity's flaws and challenges.
Yeah. I used to be excited about SpaceX stuff, I remember watching those early livestreamed landing attempts. But their recent close association with the American fascist movement basically killed my enthusiasm. I can't support the company anymore.
Elon Musk is one nepobaby with poor emotional regulation. SpaceX is an enormous number of very smart, very driven, very dedicated professionals who all work ridiculous hours in not great working conditions because they believe in the outrageous idea of humanity out among the stars.
It's ok to not like the guy at the top, but still marvel at the achievements of the people he pays.
Starship is SpaceX’s greatest technological achievement already, even if it never reaches orbit reliably (with the potential exception of the inter-satellite Starlink laser links).
Did you not see the booster catch work on the first try? The partially successful re-entry even with half the control surface melting away?
The hundreds at SpaceX are doing Apollo-level breakthrough work, and it should not in any way be minimized due to tangential Elon-hate.
>The hundreds at SpaceX are doing Apollo-level breakthrough work, and it should not in any way be minimized due to tangential Elon-hate.
You're right. It shouldn't be. And yet here we are wasting our digital breaths talking about the man. And there's really only one person responsible for that.
How is that a greater achievement than Falcon 9 and reusable boosters, especially Falcon Heavy? Like sure if Starship lives up to its goals it will be a greater achievement. But how would an ambitious project that fails its most fundamental task (reaching orbit reliably) be a greater achievement than one that actually does meet its goals and was (and is) still incredibly revoluationary?
While I agree with your larger point, I think it's a bit telling that you're using a 50 year old program that launched the only humans to ever visit another celestial body as the standard against which to judge the "greatest achievement." Humanity has sure done some amazing stuff!
coldpie|6 months ago
idiotsecant|6 months ago
It's ok to not like the guy at the top, but still marvel at the achievements of the people he pays.
gnarlouse|6 months ago
sneak|6 months ago
Did you not see the booster catch work on the first try? The partially successful re-entry even with half the control surface melting away?
The hundreds at SpaceX are doing Apollo-level breakthrough work, and it should not in any way be minimized due to tangential Elon-hate.
djeastm|6 months ago
You're right. It shouldn't be. And yet here we are wasting our digital breaths talking about the man. And there's really only one person responsible for that.
pythonaut_16|6 months ago
How is that a greater achievement than Falcon 9 and reusable boosters, especially Falcon Heavy? Like sure if Starship lives up to its goals it will be a greater achievement. But how would an ambitious project that fails its most fundamental task (reaching orbit reliably) be a greater achievement than one that actually does meet its goals and was (and is) still incredibly revoluationary?
itishappy|6 months ago