
Ask HN: Will rockets evolve similarly as computers? Personal Rockets Possible? - pplonski86
When I hold my smart phone and look back at evolution of personal computers in last 60 years, I&#x27;m thinking how rockets will look like in next 60 years? Are we going to have Personal Rockets?
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ksaj
There was a time they thought bicycles were a far-fetched idea. Now they're
something that gets stolen and you shrug and buy another one. And when you
look at the penny farthing, you realize they took a half-baked idea and turned
it into the many types of bicycles we have today that are far better for their
intended purposes: BMX, tricycle, 3 speed commuters, 10-speed, 12 speed, 21
speed, etc... and their many variations.

I don't think personal _rockets_ will be a thing, but the common cultural
thought of it will result in something related, but improved by the injection
of actual science, and a cost/benefit response.

Electric autopilot is the current closest contender for a "personal rocket"
type transportation solution. I'm sure there are others, too.

I'm looking at the problem being solved, versus a single potential solution
for it.

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necovek
Rockets have existed for more than 60 years alrrady, and have been used for
almost exactly that for human travel.

Smartphone "revolution" is a communications revolution, and not much more than
that. Smaller and better performing computers, sure, it's nice. But it does
not move the needle in civilization-development sense to me.

As for rockets, they are hugely inefficient ways to transport large cargo, so
if we want personal space travel, it'll have to be alternative technology or
something really worthwhile in space for us to invest that much.

If you are only talking personal small rocket launching, there's already a
thriving community doing that.

