
Elon Musk’s SpaceX Readies First Astronaut Launch by Private Firm - laurex
https://www.wsj.com/articles/elon-musks-spacex-readies-first-astronaut-launch-by-private-firm-11590231601
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dgritsko
I'm just a fan of SpaceX and have no skin in the game whatsoever, and I get
butterflies whenever I think about this launch. I still remember the sinking
feeling I had watching the CRS-7 livestream like it was yesterday, but having
human lives at stake is a whole different ballgame. All the best to SpaceX
tomorrow (or whenever the launch actually happens).

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redis_mlc
> have no skin in the game whatsoever

Well, aside from your taxes being blown on an orbiting astronaut aquarium.
Virtually no science, or anything else of value, is done on the ISS.

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avmich
Come on :) . How we're supposed to learn how to fly to space.

It could be done way more effective, yes. Yes, it's a political question.

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redis_mlc
> How we're supposed to learn how to fly to space.

Space is too big for people to go anywhere within human lifespans. Hoping for
human space exploration isn't a strategy.

This is similar to the current corona lockdown. Hoping for national US testing
and tracing doesn't get you there, so give it a rest.

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redis_mlc
Oh, another junket to the ISS, the ultimate money pit.

Don't forget to take a chain saw, guys!

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valuearb
It once had a use.

Remember Skylab? Only 20 or 30 times cheaper. We blew $200B on the Shuttle
instead of keeping it in orbit.

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avmich
First generation of stations. Can't bring supplies other than with the crew's
ship - no transport spacecrafts docking.

ISS is a couple of generations ahead. Robotic arm, massive solar panels,
modular construction, adaptation for unforeseen tasks, reliability in the face
of a loss of some transportation options, international cooperation...

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foxyv
It's great for Earth observation, but the polar orbit makes it a lot less
useful for deep space. Although it's nice having a microgravity laboratory.

