Crewed SpaceX Launching Today

Im glad to see Space X succeed. They want to make space flight like aircraft flight; repeatable use of the ship. Reducing the cost of each flight is essential. The bottomless budget is not sustainable. So far Space X seems to be making great progress. We certainly hope they can get this system to be reliable.
NASA has become captive to those in government (elected at that!) who use it as a money funnel to their voters. Whether or not
things work is of little import to them. Maybe this will put an end to some of this.
 
Computer-controlled Gyro and gimbal technology has gotten us to this point. Also ultra-stable video from drones and motor vehicles, etc.
 
NASA has become captive to those in government (elected at that!) who use it as a money funnel to their voters. Whether or not
things work is of little import to them. Maybe this will put an end to some of this.
The private sector ALWAYS does a better job than government. After all, "government" isn't building tanks and jets, the PRIVATE SECTOR is, they are just government subcontractors. It's the CONTRACTORS that SUBCONTRACT the actual work/product that siphon off the huge sums of money that return ZERO to the taxpayers. They split it with the congresspeople that funnel the contracts to them.
 
Hope to live long enough to get one orbit of earth , been saving since they first talked ‘bout that , almost $50 already ......any estimates of seat cost , really just want to experience blast off and soft landing !
 
I think I was born 20-25 years to early. I'll never have enough to pay for a joy ride to space.
 
The controlled landing is so cool. I love the idea put forth that, "If it's mathematically possible, then we can do it!" If you go to youtube, you can watch a lot of those failed previous controlled landing attempts... I love math and science, so it's so cool to watch even the failed attempts because those are so close to succeding even when something goes wrong that it proves that it's all possible. People saying it's a lift off played backwards are like the moon landing deniers... There's not much you can do, short of having them witness a controlled landing "live" to convince them it is real.
 
The private sector ALWAYS does a better job than government. After all, "government" isn't building tanks and jets, the PRIVATE SECTOR is, they are just government subcontractors. It's the CONTRACTORS that SUBCONTRACT the actual work/product that siphon off the huge sums of money that return ZERO to the taxpayers. They split it with the congresspeople that funnel the contracts to them.

I worked in the aircraft industry at Fisherman's Bend in Australia. Half was government and half was private. The private half was the barnacle on the arse of progress. They got a piece of every project and most of what they did was stuff-ups. Our politicians wanted to rationalise the industry. The first thing the private factory did was raise the salaries of all their staff by half a level, so that if the merger came about, their guys would slot in in top. When the assessment was made of the private sector, it was found that most of their equipment had been supplied in aid, during the war years and had never been maintained. Most of the machining centres had slop in the chuck bearings. What killed the government factory and our entire aircraft industry was the Nomad crash which came about because of the decision to fly the plane without the final results of the wind-tunnel test. The wind tunnel was in a research facility up the road and there was no sense of urgency, or ambition in that place. When the tests were evaluated after the crash, they showed the flutter which cause the tail of the plane to fail. It was simply a leadership/ policy problem - our politicians have simply no idea about what is needed. For them a high-tech industry is only there to suit their ambitions.
I was in the government factory when the Nomad crash occurred - I know what it feels like to be involved in fatalities. I've also been involved in helping the private sector improve the processes and materials they use in defence projects. Our Department of Defence used to provide the technology seed for Australian manufacturers. Any company which had defence contracts always had government scientists and engineers involved. It is impossible to simply hand an Australian private company a contract for something high-tech, and let them do it.
 
Many Australians probably believe that Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation was government-owned, and the was what they were supposed to believe. ( Government Aircraft Factory actually WAS government-owned ). CAC was a consortium of many of the big players in private industry in Australia, and it was there only to make a profit off the coat-tails of government contracts. It never designed an aeroplane since it was created out of the WW2 Department of Aircraft Production.
It is all academic now anyway. Thanks to the Luddites, Australia no longer has high-tech industries.
 
Maybe in Australia the government is better than the private sector, NOT IN THE U.S.A.

Politics is literally off the rails, just a by-product of out-of-control government on BOTH sides.
 
I have talked to Australian reps who have visited defence factories in America. Apparently the top guy in most of them is a US army officer.
 
Maybe in Australia the government is better than the private sector, NOT IN THE U.S.A.

Politics is literally off the rails, just a by-product of out-of-control government on BOTH sides.

All politicians believe their own bullshit. Neoliberalism always was crap. Society is made up of individuals and democracy gives individuals a say in determining their own futures. You don't need to make individualism and deregulation become a cult. Freedom also includes the freedom to be an idiot. So who is responsible ? In Australia, voting is compulsory if you are eligible, however it is very rare that our government will conscript for military service. In a 'just war', soldiers usually fight for democracy.
 
In America there are people protesting and rioting. I wonder how many of them bothered to vote in elections ? If you don't vote, how can you justify protesting about what comes out of elections ?
 
If you don't vote, how can you justify protesting about what comes out of elections ?
I say there is no justification for protesting in that situation, UNLESS you are a legal citizen, but not yet old enough to vote.

Then, I don't like to see children/minors being used by their parents (and/or handlers) to be "advocates", "concerned citizens", or OUTRIGHT PROPS, unless they can argue their sincere beliefs, and answer direct questions with coherent answers, on the subject being "protested" WITHOUT cue cards or a rehearsed script.
 
I worked in civil service so I have a pretty dim view of government and how it works. On the other hand I also put time in the private sector and there are quite a few sharks there too.
What is going on now is some sort of civil war and from the looks of things I cannot say Id want to nail my flag to any mast out there.
I have to go back inside the garage and self isolate with my bikes.
 
I say there is no justification for protesting in that situation, UNLESS you are a legal citizen, but not yet old enough to vote.

Then, I don't like to see children/minors being used by their parents (and/or handlers) to be "advocates", "concerned citizens", or OUTRIGHT PROPS, unless they can argue their sincere beliefs, and answer direct questions with coherent answers, on the subject being "protested" WITHOUT cue cards or a rehearsed script.
Add to that the many thousands of ex convicts that are no longer permitted to vote after completing their sentences. Seems harsh to keep on punishing them IMHO.
 
Pretty sure that applies to felons only. I can still vote after my speeding convictions. :)
The problem with The Vote is you get to vote, essentially, for one of two candidates.
They are usually selected by Your Betters so not much choice.
It seems to me a lot of the current War Against Trump is because he was NOT selected by
the boys in the backroom and they are livid. Their scam has been interrupted . He is far
from perfect but that fact that he is not a career politician alone is a huge leap forward.
Remaining on topic, this is about getting a space system that works for the least cost.
 
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