A few years ago, people laughed at Elon Musk when he said he could land and reuse a rocket. No one is laughing anymore.
SpaceX is in a completely different league to the Russians.
And my point is, SpaceX can be as fast and nimble as they want. Given that the nation of Russia has tried and failed 7 times to land small, unmanned craft on Mars, I have my doubts that SpaceX can actually land a large, manned craft. When NASA landed Curiosity in 2012, it was a major feat of engineering to land it successfully. Landing a much heavier manned craft will make that look like child's play.
I agree with you about the negative effect of politics on NASA. If we don't work out our politics on this, no one will land on Mars until after 2040.
A few years ago, people laughed at Elon Musk when he said he could land and reuse a rocket. No one is laughing anymore.
SpaceX is in a completely different league to the Russians.
NASA's role needs to change in this modern world. They should not be in the business of building rockets at all.
Normally they use simulated mass on a maiden launch which is why they used his car and nothing else plus who else gets that kind of advertising.I kinda wish that he'd opened up the payload to schools to launch their own projects. I think that would have been an awesome way to get an entire generation really involved in space exploration and engineering. Imagine being a kid and designing your own project and seeing it launched like that! Launching the car gave great visuals I guess but it seemed a bit frivolous.
I think SpaceX is leading in rocket tech right now. I don't think they're actually going to land on Mars, not before NASA does. NASA may do so using some SpaceX hardware, but it will be NASA who does it, not SpaceX.
Russia, whose space program goes back to the 1950's has tried to land unmanned craft on Mars 7 times and failed every single time. And what they tried to land is much lighter and easier to land than the gigantic spacecraft that Musk is talking about sending to Mars.
Only NASA has the experience and institutional knowledge to land a manned craft on Mars, at least any time in the foreseeable future.
So far as foreign governments, or rival corporations, trying to steal SpaceX rocket technology, sure that could happen. There are many possible motives for such behavior.
And my point is, SpaceX can be as fast and nimble as they want. Given that the nation of Russia has tried and failed 7 times to land small, unmanned craft on Mars, I have my doubts that SpaceX can actually land a large, manned craft. When NASA landed Curiosity in 2012, it was a major feat of engineering to land it successfully. Landing a much heavier manned craft will make that look like child's play.
I agree with you about the negative effect of politics on NASA. If we don't work out our politics on this, no one will land on Mars until after 2040.
I think that theres definitely still a place for state agencies in space exploration.
Elon Musk is an outlier and you don't want to bet the future of space exploration on the appearance of another mad man with lots of cash that they don't mind burning!
Yea but that would come with conditions. I think Musk needs to do his own thing here. With Musk at the helm we might actually get a colony on Mars within our lifetimes.Oh absolutely! State agencies are absolutely necessary for pure science payloads, things like Hubble, the James Webb Telescope, and thousands of other pure science projects that NASA and other space agencies have/are in the process of carrying out. I'm curious if SpaceX can send payloads other than their own reusable second stage/spaceship up on the BFR? If so, NASA I'd almost be in favor of NASA helping fund, develop and test the BFR versus continuing to pump money into the SLS. They can use their vast savings on other pure science projects and leave the lifting to SpaceX.
Yea but that would come with conditions. I think Musk needs to do his own thing here. With Musk at the helm we might actually get a colony on Mars within our lifetimes.