this post was submitted on 14 Oct 2024
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No Stupid Questions

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So I've heard and seen the newest launch, and I thought for a private firm it seemed cool they were able to do it on their own, but I'm scratching my head that people are gushing about this as some hail mary.

I get the engineering required is staggering when it comes to these rocket tests, but NASA and other big space agencies have already done rocket tests and exploring bits of the moon which still astounds me to this day.

Is it because it's not a multi billion government institution? When I tell colleagues about NASA doing stuff like this yeaaaars ago they're like "Yea yea but this is different it's crazy bro"

Can anyone help me understand? Any SpaceX or Tesla fans here?

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 month ago

Not a Tesla fan and I absolutely despise the cult around Elon. SpaceX is a bit different though. Luckily with Elon's many, many side project misadventures he's pretty hands-off with SpaceX. Ultimately it comes down to being largely engineer driven and given sufficient (but yes, still government) funding to try new things without the scrutiny of direct government agencies. The hours are usually terrible from what I hear, but this varies team to team.

My biggest complaint is that they do lowball engineers using the stock as reasoning for why it's worth accepting. FWIW historically that has been the case, and many engineers there do effectively have golden handcuffs. But expecting infinite golden handcuff level growth forever is unrealistic.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Building your qualifications to teach advanced courses in being blasé?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I read that nasa can't even make saturn v rockets anymore. that the design documents and manufacturing techniques weren't properly archived and everyone that worked on them has died by now. idk if any of that is true.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 month ago (1 children)

That’s kind of like saying that ford can’t make a model t anymore.

I’m sure they could, there’s just no reason to.

I’m also sure the contractors that built the Saturn V, those that are still in business, could build equivalent parts today if the government asked.

The Saturn five was an absurdly large rocket designed specifically to get 3 people from earth to the moon. It was insanely expensive per launch, and the only reason it ever flew was because the government was writing nasa blank checks in order to beat the soviets.

Today the government wants a reasonable dollar figure for a launch, and the days of spending a billion dollars per launch are long past.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 month ago

It is true that we cannot make Saturn V rockets anymore.

The drawings are preserved, and even if they weren't, we have a few examples of unflown ones on display to study. There has been some institutional knowledge lost, several components were made by welding techniques we don't use anymore. Also, many of the components and materials used in the Saturn V are not manufactured anymore and are not available.

Building another Saturn V isn't entirely impossible, but the amount of retooling and re-engineering we'd have to do to the designs to get a flyable rocket we might as well just start over and call it a clean sheet design. Like Falcon Heavy, which put a sports car into solar orbit, or SLS which flew an Orion capsule around the moon in 2022.

[–] [email protected] 39 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

What you're asking is akin to: why are people impressed by the airplane? We've already reached the Americas and India by boat.

SpaceX, and others actually are not advancing science per se, but are greatly improving/optimising the engineering so that it can be used in cheaper ways by others.

There's also the issue that after the moon landing we didn't really improve that much and much of the knowledge faded

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[–] [email protected] 67 points 1 month ago (3 children)

SpaceX is not run by Elon and he's kept from being involved closely by a buffer of people that keep him from getting too close to making any "elon" level changes.

SpaceX is successful despite Musk, not because of. And the woman who runs it knows that and keeps Musk away from any important decisions or impacts.

So the stuff they're doing is legit, cool aerospace stuff.

It's just not something Musk should take credit for. He does/will. But he shouldn't. He's a hack.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I'm guessing they let him name the Of Course I Still Love You?

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Those names are taken from Iain M. Banks’ Culture sci-fi series.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Which is hilarious, as the eponymous Culture is the epitome of luxury gay space anarchism. Pan-sexual, non-monogamous space hippies that can (and do) change their biological sex just by thinking about it. People so past the idea of "gender" that they consider giving any serious weight to the concept barbaric.

I know it's a rhetorical question: but is Elon stupid or something?

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