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Orrex

(63,462 posts)

35. Too bad Space-X can't seem to learn from 60 years of data.

Mon Jun 29, 2015, 09:48 AM

Jun 2015

The story arc here, as in all privatization schemes, is to let the government do (and pay for) most of the heavy lifting until profiteers find some way to squeeze money out of it, then step in to "save" the program or whatever.

With that in mind, and with mountains and mountands of data spanning 6+ decades, there's really no excuse for Space-X or any other johnny-come-lately not to start from where NASA left off. At the very least, one would expect them to say "let's do what NASA did, but with fewer disastrous explosions."

Not to worry. I'm sure that their funding is secured for the investors, and that's the most important part.

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Is this what outsourcing our space program means - Rockets that blow up? [View all] liberal N proud Jun 2015 OP

Yes. mmonk Jun 2015 #1

Rockets are a ridiculously finicky technology, a barely controlled bomb Fumesucker Jun 2015 #2

Not to mention Apollo I (nt) Recursion Jun 2015 #5

no Duckhunter935 Jun 2015 #3

NASA has had 21 fatalities and dozens of explosions (nt) Recursion Jun 2015 #4

It boggles the mind, too, kentauros Jun 2015 #6

Yes it does Duckhunter935 Jun 2015 #7

The Lunar Lander was NOT built by NASA A HERETIC I AM Jun 2015 #44

I know Duckhunter935 Jun 2015 #83

You need to re-watch episode 5 of that series MohRokTah Jun 2015 #49

I know Duckhunter935 Jun 2015 #84

How brave were the astronauts? hifiguy Jun 2015 #88

Too bad Space-X can't seem to learn from 60 years of data. Orrex Jun 2015 #35

How much was that 6+ decades of data was available? tammywammy Jun 2015 #40

NASA has also been known to throw out blueprints, files, and other data records kentauros Jun 2015 #42

A fair question Orrex Jun 2015 #43

Alot of knowledge is only stored in Gray Matter One_Life_To_Give Jun 2015 #48

Well, everyone else has already said it. Erich Bloodaxe BSN Jun 2015 #8

I would challenge anyone to point out one service privatization of govermental..... marble falls Jun 2015 #9

The Space program would not exist without privatization. eom MohRokTah Jun 2015 #12

Only because NASA was being defunded. Not because NASA wasn't keeping its.... marble falls Jun 2015 #17

NASA has outsourced the manufacture of rockets since the beginning MohRokTah Jun 2015 #20

see post #6 Amishman Jun 2015 #23

NASA isn't a manufacturer tammywammy Jun 2015 #27

Good way.... daleanime Jun 2015 #77

I answered the challenge. MohRokTah Jun 2015 #78

And the privatizated portions.... daleanime Jun 2015 #80

Yes MohRokTah Jun 2015 #82

+1000 kairos12 Jun 2015 #16

Pssssst.... MohRokTah Jun 2015 #10

Can't argue with people that think its only a US government funded program... Historic NY Jun 2015 #22

I'm saving that graphic :) kentauros Jun 2015 #24

Outsourced manufacturing is one thing-- private industry running the launches is another. Marr Jun 2015 #28

There is no fricking difference whatsoeer. MohRokTah Jun 2015 #31

That's what I just said. The difference is who is in charge of the launch. Marr Jun 2015 #33

The private group is driven to have a successful launch every bit as much as the government group. MohRokTah Jun 2015 #46

That's the argument for privatizing government functions, alright. Marr Jun 2015 #50

Privatizing of the launching of rockets makes perfect sense. MohRokTah Jun 2015 #53

Do you feel the same way about the Post Office vs. FedEx? /nt Marr Jun 2015 #60

No. MohRokTah Jun 2015 #61

The post office it not mandated by the constitution. Angleae Jun 2015 #92

Challenger was largely Morton Thiokol's fault, no? MannyGoldstein Jun 2015 #81

ROFLMAO snooper2 Jun 2015 #51

Elon Musk loses about 10 million a year on SpaceX Recursion Jun 2015 #87

You think contractors always worked for free? RandySF Jun 2015 #57

NASA didn't cancel the Challenger Launch hardluck Jun 2015 #79

The Challenger Disaster is groupthink 101 tammywammy Jun 2015 #86

Groupthink is exactly right hardluck Jun 2015 #89

As can be seen from your diagram, MannyGoldstein Jun 2015 #37

Yes JackInGreen Jun 2015 #11

Has anything you know of gotten better and less expensive when it was contracted out? notadmblnd Jun 2015 #13

Rockets (nt) Recursion Jun 2015 #26

+ 1,000,000,000,000 eom MohRokTah Jun 2015 #30

Aircraft. kentauros Jun 2015 #34

The Internet? MindPilot Jun 2015 #54

less expensive? I think not notadmblnd Jun 2015 #67

NASA never had a rocket blow up? City Lights Jun 2015 #14

As if Android3.14 Jun 2015 #15

Good point. And there have been no technological advances in 48 years. Orrex Jun 2015 #36

It's called "Rocket Science" for a reason n2doc Jun 2015 #18

In the milliseconds before the blast, SCVDem Jun 2015 #19

Nah, Defense and NASA were blowing up scores of rockets for many years - Germany, too hatrack Jun 2015 #21

The inverse of obtuse conservative Android3.14 Jun 2015 #25

Three failures in last 8 months... peacebird Jun 2015 #29

Three failures from three different sources tammywammy Jun 2015 #41

Not really true. jeff47 Jun 2015 #45

Anyone know what direction the wind was blowing? Baitball Blogger Jun 2015 #32

What's the NASA versus SpaceX body count? (nt) Nye Bevan Jun 2015 #38

Just so you know.... we've been "outsourcing" rockets for a very long time. Adrahil Jun 2015 #39

Quite right - Rocketdyne developed the Saturn V's F-1 rocket engines starting back in the 1950's Baclava Jun 2015 #59

This is not the same country that went to the moon. I doubt we could do it, today. nt Romulox Jun 2015 #47

White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) 1939 Jun 2015 #58

So far get the red out Jun 2015 #52

Actually, a better record than NASA. eom MohRokTah Jun 2015 #56

By what measure? Act_of_Reparation Jun 2015 #62

Successful launches of a new system. MohRokTah Jun 2015 #63

NASA has been launching shit into space for over 50 years. Act_of_Reparation Jun 2015 #64

So far the Falcon series has about an 89% success rate... Humanist_Activist Jun 2015 #70

Awesome. Great find! Act_of_Reparation Jun 2015 #71

The thing is, SpaceX will succeed or fail based on something as basic as rocket launches.... Humanist_Activist Jun 2015 #72

Right. And that's what gets me about this private/public debate Act_of_Reparation Jun 2015 #73

Yes, and right now they are government contractors, in the future they may go independent on... Humanist_Activist Jun 2015 #74

Totally agree. Act_of_Reparation Jun 2015 #75

Yes, because NASA never botched anything before. RandySF Jun 2015 #55

The world's first air force: OilemFirchen Jun 2015 #65

Conservative ideology destroyed Yankee ingenuity. Democrats_win Jun 2015 #66

There has *always* been a reliablity problem with single rockets friendly_iconoclast Jun 2015 #68

The Space Shuttle was a disaster waiting to happen, and 14 people had to die to prove it... Humanist_Activist Jun 2015 #69

there have been cases of astronauts having to train their replacement astornauts HFRN Jun 2015 #76

You must have forgotten how many failures NASA had before they begin ladjf Jun 2015 #85

My only beef with this whole thing is they should have started the process much earlier davidpdx Jun 2015 #90

The question isn't private or NASA, it's private or Russia. LeftyMom Jun 2015 #91