What am I missing here. Why has the US government given control over launching astronauts into space to a private company?
Maggie’s SpaceX vs NASA
- Thread starter Jigstick
- Start date
Private companies can do it faster, for less, and safer than Govt. which seems to fuck everything that it touches up. Private industry is also an organization that can change to meet demand faster than Govt. When things go horribly wrong, liability and fingerpointing can be shifted away from cowardly know-nothing, do-nothing politicians. Funded private GPS/telecommunications and aerospace/science projects cannot rely on Govt. to lift equipment into orbit and beyond, so there's a market to be satisfied there. Putting astronauts in orbit is a stunt anymore. Who wants to lift 400kg of asshole to orbit when you can have another 400kg of lucrative payload instead?
Besides, the "Space Age" is so 60 years ago... The Govt. already has very mature spy satellite and ICBM programs, so the bulk of the R&D and innovation has been reduced to a maintenance role. Who needs to put more tax dollars into space programs when you can glass over the entire planet 10+ times? Grandma, Grandpa and the sickly need their SS and welfare check more than any space program does.
Besides, the "Space Age" is so 60 years ago... The Govt. already has very mature spy satellite and ICBM programs, so the bulk of the R&D and innovation has been reduced to a maintenance role. Who needs to put more tax dollars into space programs when you can glass over the entire planet 10+ times? Grandma, Grandpa and the sickly need their SS and welfare check more than any space program does.
Agree in private enterprise being more efficient but I wonder with this company how much tax payer money is being used.... it is Elon Musk
So that they do not need to keep paying the Russians to do it as they have been doing.....
Space x is not private one bit.
They worked with nasa on crew capsule and rockets.
They are using nasa launch pads and facilities especially in the beginning
They worked with boeing on the crew capsule as well.
private by spreadsheets but government by everything else
They worked with nasa on crew capsule and rockets.
They are using nasa launch pads and facilities especially in the beginning
They worked with boeing on the crew capsule as well.
private by spreadsheets but government by everything else
It has its advantages, but just like privatizing other programs, it provides a streamline way to funnel large amounts of taxpayer dollars into private hands. It's a "win"/"win"/"win" for the politicians, lobbyist and the businesses.
Other than the fact that Mercury, Apollo and Space Shuttle programs were developing a lot of technology on the fly for problems that hadn't been solved yet, let's not forget... when the Gov wants to build a rocket, every aerospace contractor comes out of the woodwork wanting a piece of the pie.
For the Apollo program- Aerojet, Grumman, Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, Martin Marietta had to bring together all their individual pieces- without really informing any of the other companies of recent changes. Hell, even Playtex (yeah, the bra company) had to build a large part of the spacesuits- they had the silicone expertise. Something like 375K contractors from 36 different companies, versus 42K Gov employees- not even all NASA.
Each one of those last-minute changes means contract mods. That's time and money that wasn't foreseen. Second- and third-order effects requiring redesign after redesign- before they ever get to a hot-fire test.
For a perfect example of why splitting the pieces up sucks, read about the Mars Climate Orbiter failure. (kind of like having your new spotter call your shot "3 low". Three what? Inches? Mils? Oh, wait he's Swedish... I'll take metric units for 400, Alex.)
No such challenge when dealing with a single company. Build a little, test to failure, learn from the mistakes, improve the design. Rinse and repeat. It's called Agile development, and it's generally cheaper and faster.
You can't really "sole source" a project of that magnitude, either... you'd never get it off the ground (figuratively speaking) because every company that didn't get the contract would sue. (See the F-35 or JEDI... smh) So... the contract is to deliver X tons of goods and Y personnel to the ISS over Z flights. Best company wins the *service* contract.
For the Apollo program- Aerojet, Grumman, Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, Martin Marietta had to bring together all their individual pieces- without really informing any of the other companies of recent changes. Hell, even Playtex (yeah, the bra company) had to build a large part of the spacesuits- they had the silicone expertise. Something like 375K contractors from 36 different companies, versus 42K Gov employees- not even all NASA.
Each one of those last-minute changes means contract mods. That's time and money that wasn't foreseen. Second- and third-order effects requiring redesign after redesign- before they ever get to a hot-fire test.
For a perfect example of why splitting the pieces up sucks, read about the Mars Climate Orbiter failure. (kind of like having your new spotter call your shot "3 low". Three what? Inches? Mils? Oh, wait he's Swedish... I'll take metric units for 400, Alex.)
No such challenge when dealing with a single company. Build a little, test to failure, learn from the mistakes, improve the design. Rinse and repeat. It's called Agile development, and it's generally cheaper and faster.
You can't really "sole source" a project of that magnitude, either... you'd never get it off the ground (figuratively speaking) because every company that didn't get the contract would sue. (See the F-35 or JEDI... smh) So... the contract is to deliver X tons of goods and Y personnel to the ISS over Z flights. Best company wins the *service* contract.
Private companies are not bound to Freedom of Information Acts. So the U.S. now has an entire space program that doesnt have to show the public anything. Obviously there are many other reasons, but this is a big one.
^^^Pretty much this.^^^
Though I have to admit that I’m disappointed. I saw the title and thought this was a celebrity death match.
Because Congress cut NASA's budget to fund bullcrap, like Medicare Part D (Booosh 2.0), and expansion of welfare under the Porkulus Bill (Barry 1.0).
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