Every now and then you run across a story that isn't so much news but
something that you just have to pass on. That story belongs to Eric
Berger at Ars Technica this week for "Europe has the worst imaginable idea to counter SpaceX’s launch
dominance."
The setup is not surprising: the European Space Agency is concerned about SpaceX and how far ahead of everyone else in the space industry they are. The numbers are recognizable but still eye-popping when you read them.
Last year, for example, SpaceX launched 134 orbital missions. Combined, Europe had three.
After this intro, Eric outlines several more legitimate reasons for the ESA to be looking for ways to regain some of their previous magic. For one thing, Europe wants to launch something comparable to the Starlink satellites, but ultimately a smaller presence in space than Starlink to be available by the end of the decade.
Sounds reasonable, right? The issue is how they seem to be going about how to get there.
However, the approach being pursued by Airbus—a European aerospace corporation that is, on a basic level, akin to Boeing—seems like the dumbest idea imaginable. According to Bloomberg, "Airbus has hired Goldman Sachs Group Inc. for advice on an effort to forge a new European space and satellite company that can better compete with Elon Musk’s dominant SpaceX."
The publication reports that talks are preliminary and include France-based Thales and Italy's Leonardo S.p.A. to create a portfolio of space services. Leonardo has hired Bank of America Inc. for the plan, which has been dubbed Project Bromo. (According to Merriam-Webster, "bromo" is a form of bromide, which originates from the Greek word brōmos, meaning bad smell.)
Project stink? I swear I'm not making this up.
While European companies have been playing catch up with the US for around 15 years, it's hard to imagine companies like Airbus, Thales Alenia Space and the others banding together to become nimble and more efficient operators in spaceflight. But going to Goldman Sachs for advice?
Two decades ago, the US military forced Lockheed and Boeing to merge their launch businesses to create a single company. Although there were several goals of this venture, which became United Launch Alliance, one of them was that by combining operations, the companies could avoid duplication and become more efficient. The opposite happened. Launch prices ballooned, and America consistently ceded the commercial launch market to foreign players into the 2010s, right up until when SpaceX got its Falcon 9 rocket flying frequently.
Europe's first Ariane 6 rocket takes flight for the first time on July 9, 2024. Credit: ESA - S. Corvaja
Well in a more subtle way its same with Blue Origin. Now have to stipulate this is my own PO, watching BO's operations, without serious reformation of their corporate model they will eventually falter and go under, because it appears to my perceptions they are too loaded down with legacy space mentality in their higher level structure, not to say they are incapable of the iterative critical collective mentality which SpaceX has developed, its that that culture is something that without the strictest careful protection of that culture, it is highly susceptible to legacy infection always, its absolutely vital vigilance is maintained, particularly in this so called woke poisonous SJW era which is constantly out to get its foot in the door and destroy any free thinking innovative successful corporate entity, its just ugly yet basic truth till some deep fundamental changes begin to re-assert themselves which was the backbone and bread and butter of American industrial success.
ReplyDeleteWhomever it is running SpaceX i believe have some very critical thinking alert far thinking people at the helm. And I just can not see a guy like Beso finding Jesus that way, never happen, too much of a corporate controller, too corrupt in his heart of hearts kind of thing. Not that that cant happen, but its remote still.
Having to say this is a terrible thing in its own way, but the proof is in the pudding, in the most down to earth way from my perspective, as I grew up and watched thru my life and corp USA/globo-financial tyrants utterly destroy the industrial capacity and incredibly skilled craft workforce, destruction of the most important feature of that capacity, all to get the last effin' buck, screw everything, and more so screw everyone who made it pissible for those types to beccome hideously wealthy at everyones expense and loss of intrinsic wealth created in the first place by those generations of people who dedicated themselves to doing a good job, the mentality it ain't gonna fail because if me workforce, that includes everyone, from engineers to maintenance, machinists to welders, assemblers to expediters, inspectors to tool and die men. Its predatory corporate inc and their money changers, they are very difficult to avoid, JC was correct to flip those tables and nothing has changed about that, only what those tables look like today. Do I have a beef with those actors? Your darn right I do, loom at our beautiful republic, what its been turned into. Its disgusting and utterly unacceptable. Sorry to rant. I simply wish with all my heart regardless of the bad, the best to happen in every sense, that nothings so bad it ain't good for something. This evil will not stand, I think the world may have begun changing in positive ways. The pendulum always swings the other way. That that begins small at first but picks up momentum. That my kin will see it is my most fervent hope.
Anon@1106: Y'know that periods don't cost more to use than other punctuation marks, right?
ReplyDeleteWe also know that Gwynne Shotwell is, well, calling the shots at SpaceX as its president and COO, and a member of the board.
DeleteAs we know that Gwynne is as sharp as the best-sharpened sword you can imagine. She was an industry veteran when she signed on at SpaceX in 2002 as one of the first few employees.
DeleteShotwell kind of strikes me as an excellent front man, certainly a sharp character, but something isn't adding up, there is corporate structure which remains a mystery, as time goes on it looks like the actual leadership within is keeping their identities well covered. Often wonder whats up with that.
DeleteBromo is Italian for Bromine (according to Google) which is not much better than "stink"
ReplyDeleteA bromide is also "a trite and unoriginal idea or remark, typically intended to soothe or placate."
ReplyDeleteFWIW, bromine is more effective than chlorine for disinfecting swimming pools. Also more damaging than chlorine if inhaled.