this post was submitted on 14 Oct 2024
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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] 173 points 1 month ago (36 children)

Disclaimer: Fuck Elon Musk and all the shady shit he's been pulling off.

That said, this is one of the most impressive things I've ever seen in terms of the potential it holds to shape the future.

Up until 5 short years ago we had:

  • No main booster recovery
  • No rocket nearly as powerful as this one
  • No successful flight of a full-flow stage engine
  • Nobody even considering the catch with chopsticks thing
  • No private company testing super heavy lift vehicles (BO is about to enter the chat as well)
  • No push for reusability at all

This was all built on top of the incredible engineering of NASA, but this one launch today has all of the above ticked.

This is like making the first aeroplane that's able to land and be flown again. SpaceX uses this example as well, like, imagine how expensive any plane ticket would have to be if you had to build a brand new A380 every single time people wanted to fly and then crashing it into the sea.

Going to space is EXPENSIVE. If this program succeeds it will both massively reduce the cost to space and spin off hundreds of companies looking to do the same in various ways.

Look at any new rocket currently in development, they all include some level of reusability in the design and that's all thanks to the incredible engineers of SpaceX paving the way, first with Falcon 9 and now with Starship.

We're talking industrial revolution levels of progress and new frontiers in our lifetimes, which is very, very exciting.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 month ago (2 children)

no rocket as powerful as this one.

So I'm confused on this because people still seem to be using Starships's old estimates of 100 tons to LEO orbit, which the SLS can put 145 tons to LEO.

Then 6 months ago Musk got on stage and updated the specs to Say that Starships's current design can only do 40-50 tons.

This feels awfully familiar for anyone that's seen early Tesla specs/presentations/promises and I can't help but wonder as to the validity of everyone saying SpaceX is mostly insulated from Musk's "influence."

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 month ago

I think they mean the "superheavy" (somehow a more stupid name than starship) booster rocket is the most powerful. I'm pretty sure by thrust metrics it is. It's just that the superheavy-starship system can't put much up in LEO because the starship is huge and heavy on its own.

If you put an expendable second stage on top of the superheavy booster instead of a starship it could put a lot more up to LEO.

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