What happened to Ramjet? I miss his takes, updates, and gifs.
I'm usually on my phone and don't update what I read. Very cool stuff on the BFR. I like how we have a new space race.
Interesting a clothing designer in China is going to be the first to fly around the moon. Very cool that he bought out the place, and is offering Artists of all fascists to join him. It has to be a life changing experience to create art, music, etc.
It seems like they are doing ok without NASA funding, but I am not opposed to it.
Astrophysicist Francis Rocard lead the Solar System exploration program at CNES. He was interviewed by a French newspaper Courrier International. Rocard showed that Ariane is still in denial about SpaceX. They accept Falcon 9 and now the block 5 Falcon 9 are the lowest cost rockets and that the reuse of first stages is a huge breakthrough. Rocard does not talk about Falcon Heavy.
Rocard believes or hopes that SpaceX will not get the BFR funded. Rocard believes that NASA will not supply the $2 to 10 billion because of the funding of the Space Launch System (SLS).
Rocard is not wanting to recognize that there are components of BFR already being built and that the Raptor engines appears to be close to working.
SpaceX Announces World's First 'Private Passenger' to the Moon
Sponsored by Connatix
SpaceX is dominating commercial launch already and will be making $20-40 million from each commercial launch and $40-100 million from NASA and military launches.
Nextbigfuture expects SpaceX to win more and more NASA and military launches.
SpaceX made $200-400 million from the pre-sale of the moon orbiting mission for billionaire tourist Yasuku Maezawa.
SpaceX has demonstrated to the world that they can reuse launchers, rockets, which is a real revolution currently in the space field.
Elon Musk is completely crazy.
His long-term approach is extremely questionable ethically since he wants to colonize Mars. Mars is for him plan B. And I find it extremely questionable. This is not the American approach and it is certainly not the approach of CNES.
Rocard is saying that making humanity multi-planet is unethical. The ethical thing is to only have one planet and to help Earth. Nextbigfuture observes that Dinosaurs were ethical according to Rocard.
And what he announces loudly in high-traffic conferences, his Big Fucking Rocket (BFR ), his Raptor, all that is science fiction… And Musk is only concerned about one thing: transportation. In fact, it has the same approach as the Falcon 9. Let me explain: SpaceX, with its Falcon 9, sold the idea of a cheap launcher. NASA paid to see and funded SpaceX up to $ 500 million. SpaceX was serious and it is going well. NASA has contracted $7 billion.
I do not believe [BFR] too much because Nasa has already invested billions of dollars on a launcher called the Space Launch System, the SLS. NASA has no interest in shooting itself in the foot by financing the BFR. SpaceX alone will not be able to finance the BFR and the Raptor … In the very long term, Elon Musk’s approach is bluffing.