Honestly if this thread had the actual number of points it deserved based on the kind of milestone this represents for humanity's future and access to space, it would be in the millions.
If you don't follow rocketry you can't possibly understand what this means.
This was the Trinity test.
And even if you hate Elon and all his businesses, this knowledge will proliferate. Either by talent movement / osmosis, by espionage or just being inspired ("if they can do it, maybe we have a chance as well").
Within a decade the average cost to LEO will drop 20x-50x and if you're not recovering both of your stages, you don't exist.
> And even if you hate Elon and all his businesses, this knowledge will proliferate. Either by talent movement / osmosis, by espionage or just being inspired ("if they can do it, maybe we have a chance as well").
It doesn't need to proliferate. It has existed in us for a very long time, albeit working the kinks out would take time.
The major factor on the trajectory space goes is a financial question, not a technological one. And it always has been this way.
Elon is a terrible person that's done a lot of bad for humanity (but also some good). But he's damn good at convincing people to fund his shit and so we get cool rockets until he goes out of favour.. probably that happens when we hit critical mass on the space pollution he puts up into our sky.
Since your first and dominent comment is that he's done a lot of bad for humanity. What would that be, exactly? Except for the meddling with US funding, but I consider that a minor thing.
If you don't follow rocketry you can't possibly understand what this means.
This was the Trinity test.
And even if you hate Elon and all his businesses, this knowledge will proliferate. Either by talent movement / osmosis, by espionage or just being inspired ("if they can do it, maybe we have a chance as well").
Within a decade the average cost to LEO will drop 20x-50x and if you're not recovering both of your stages, you don't exist.
It doesn't need to proliferate. It has existed in us for a very long time, albeit working the kinks out would take time.
The major factor on the trajectory space goes is a financial question, not a technological one. And it always has been this way.
Elon is a terrible person that's done a lot of bad for humanity (but also some good). But he's damn good at convincing people to fund his shit and so we get cool rockets until he goes out of favour.. probably that happens when we hit critical mass on the space pollution he puts up into our sky.