United States of America Space program
 

Damn we're good another textbook launch thats two within a week. To the moon baby!



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vm5FnJSIYkw

We have been to the moon before, it is not time for a bigger step?:Kaleun_Wink:

This is a good clip. I have been following Elon Musk as he continues to push the accessibility of space for everyone. I like how innovative Elon Musk is and his approach to engineering obstacles.

THE US IS BACK IN BUSINESS BABY

I predict following.

Within the next 30-40 years NASA, ESA, and other state supported space agency will become one organisation.

I don't know how it will be organized.

Markus

There's been at least 3 this week, and a few more scheduled within the next week.



It seems only SpaceX and NASA get any headlines, but there's quite a few private companies who have thriving commercial satellite programs going.



Just the opposite. Commercial systems will overtake the federal ones, as it is currently happening in the US, and the Space agencies will be no more than regulatory agencies. Science missions will be funded, with governmental help as usual, by Universities, launched on heavy lift commercial rockets. This could happen tomorrow if they wanted, the Falcon Heavy did launch a car to an apogee around mars orbit.

I predict that NASA will either become increasingly privatized, or increasingly cooperate with private companies, until it maybe even becomes the tail of the dog only.


Space is an expensive place to be in, government budgets less and less are capable to finance it.


Edit:
Gargamel beat me to saying somehtign similiar.

We have been to the Moon before. But we forgot how ... so we need to re-learn a few things. Should be simpler this time, though. Last time we did it with slide rules. (As a slide rule enthusiast I should point out that WE DID IT WITH SLIDE RULES FFS!!!)

Pretty much how I see it also :yep:

Oh we've been to the moon. But the next time we go, its to establish a permanent base and begin exploiting its resources in preparation for that next step.



NASA doesn't build rockets. It's a bloated bureaucracy in the executive branch of federal government. Politicians set national agenda, the agency comes up with a plan to meet it. All of the stuff we launch into space is built for the government by private companies, even the Apollo Program Saturn V rocket was.

Very few things are built by the US government. Buildings, computers, cars, military hardware, rockets, launch pads, etc are all built by commercial contractors.



Yes the Saturn V and it's components were made by contractors (Boeing, North American, Northrup Grumman, Douglas just to name a few), but to claim it wasn't "made by NASA" does a disservice to the program and it's legacy.


Atlas, Titan, Electron, Falcon 9, Falcon 9 Heavy, New Shepard, Starliner, Dragon, Starship, SpaceShip2, etc are all made by domestic private companies, some under contract from NASA, some not. SLS is a purely NASA program, with it's own dedicated launch vehicle, and can therefore be said to be "made by NASA".


The reason we're trending towards privatization of the space industry is down to cost. SpaceX handles almost everything in house, once the initial costs of building a new vehicle are covered, the marginal cost to launch a F9 is only $15 million, 2/3 of which go into building the non-reusable second stage. Compared to the "low cost reusable" space shuttle at $450 million.


That's why we'll see the cast majority of launches trend towards private companies, and away government entities. Private companies do things more efficiently, but that efficiency can come at a price, and sometimes that price is safety. That's the governments will end being regulatory agencies more than anything in the future.

Sorry, I was just trying to say that NASA isn't going private because its not in the business of building rockets. Its a federal government agency and the driving force behind our national space program. It exists because there isn't a private company on this planet that has the resources to finance projects like these. Similar maybe to why the Europe Union formed its own space agency in order to centralize research and development and the financial resources to achieve more than any one company or state could.




I still think NASA is a bloated bureaucracy though. :)

Another possibility would be that US government sell NASA to Elon Musk Space.
The reason should be to save money and let other with money and vision to take over NASA.

Just a thought.

Markus

Elon's company placed a bid to build a rocket for a specific purpose within a certain cost and timeline outlined by NASA. Being a government agency NASA is fully funded by the U.S. taxpayer who is actually paying Elon's company and sub contractors to build these rockets to further the what? The goals and agenda of United States Space Program and that's it, no mas.

If a private company wants to build vehicles for private use, say for orbital tourism or vacations on the moon. They can! But they need to have their own private business plan and rely on their own private financial resources and sell the tickets to make it work. Virgin Galatic is a good example of that.


NASA always will be a national agency whose job it is "To reach for new heights and reveal the unknown so that what we do and learn will benefit all humankind." Not to cater to private enterprise so a bunch a rich buttwipes can go for a joy ride into space.

It is absolutely necessary to explore the planet more, however, there is a need for focus so that the budget goes to specific goals and not to very remote places that may not be practically feasible in the time of mankind ... the latter, however is not carved in stone as other factors control this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6BXaGEuqxo