tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592992209402300549.post8039633458362467098..comments2024-03-28T08:06:43.198-04:00Comments on The Silicon Graybeard: NASA Selects SpaceX As Sole Provider for Manned Lunar LanderSiGraybeardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280583031339062059noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592992209402300549.post-52855949675439435162021-04-17T10:42:47.508-04:002021-04-17T10:42:47.508-04:00...in the belief ... sigh......in the <b>belief</b> ... sigh...SiGraybeardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00280583031339062059noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592992209402300549.post-27545123106291588422021-04-17T10:30:33.776-04:002021-04-17T10:30:33.776-04:00I think NASA had intended to keep the best two out...I think NASA had intended to keep the best two out of three, in the believe that competition is better, but the extreme shortfall of funding ($850 million out of $3.3 billion requested) forced them to go to one supplier. SiGraybeardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00280583031339062059noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592992209402300549.post-79394163248546970292021-04-17T10:27:32.741-04:002021-04-17T10:27:32.741-04:00I see the on-topic aspect more than the off-topic....I see the on-topic aspect more than the off-topic. <br /><br />My take is that it's not so much hiring the wrong team, but the wrong guy in the top chair. <br /><br />I don't know how much Musk has to do with the day to day engineering at Tesla or Neuralink (his other venture), but he seems to hire people to be the CEO and run the business aspects of the companies while he stays in the engineering side and directs the technical people. <br /><br />My perception of Bezos is he's not a technical guy, but more of the paper pusher kind. <br /><br />SiGraybeardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00280583031339062059noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592992209402300549.post-76474819026322243482021-04-17T10:16:03.885-04:002021-04-17T10:16:03.885-04:00Interesting. I'll have to try to find out why...Interesting. I'll have to try to find out why they need the satellite to be at Earth's terminator if they're looking outward (at various nebulae) and not downward. <br /><br />I visited U of A to see the mirror lab where they were spin casting enormous lightweight mirrors for major observatories. Pretty sure it was summer of '90. <br />SiGraybeardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00280583031339062059noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592992209402300549.post-87452907687261432012021-04-17T09:38:14.132-04:002021-04-17T09:38:14.132-04:00To drag the past-that-might-have-been into the fut...To drag the past-that-might-have-been into the future, Space-x seems like just the very outfit to turn a slightly used Starship into an orbital station. Ritchiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08075903551422300106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592992209402300549.post-52597438740084960332021-04-17T08:56:08.298-04:002021-04-17T08:56:08.298-04:00This is fantastic news. NASA had planned to pick t...This is fantastic news. NASA had planned to pick two and let them battle it out. Obviously, from NASA's perspective this week, SpaceX was the only choice. Had they asked me a year ago, I could have saved them billions.<br /><br />Bezos just can't do the fast-failure mode of trial, error and retry that Musk champions and what is necessary to compete. I guess I'll have to go on waiting for someone to challenge one of Musk's ventures...Karlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00097451556633262624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592992209402300549.post-13139697924567458892021-04-17T06:02:41.661-04:002021-04-17T06:02:41.661-04:00Bezos needs a white cat and a monocle. I realize t...Bezos needs a white cat and a monocle. I realize that comment is off topic, but at the same time, on-topic in an abstract sense. Blue Origin hasn't done much with what it has. Bezos hired the wrong team.LLhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05538854359365988863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592992209402300549.post-10363584934125329172021-04-17T02:27:57.429-04:002021-04-17T02:27:57.429-04:00Ha! Suck it, Bezos!
Ya know? The more I think ab...Ha! Suck it, Bezos!<br /><br />Ya know? The more I think about it, the more I'd prefer to fund the SLS than send a dime overseas as part of the bloated 'Stimulus' bills. <br /><br />HA!<br /><br />So how soon before ULA finds another supplier for engines for the Vulcan? Hmmm... Still wondering about the purchase of Aerojet Rockedyne by LockMart. <br /><br />But, yeah, love to be a fly on the wall at the next 'evil bazillionaires' club' when Musk dunks on Dr. Evil, I mean Bezos.<br /><br />Totally cool. Was wondering about the payload capacity of the Blue Origin lander vs Starship. Seems NASA also had questions. And more questions.Beanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15293778848879361153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592992209402300549.post-75338131545604053822021-04-17T00:03:55.142-04:002021-04-17T00:03:55.142-04:00I read today that NASA has selected the University...I read today that NASA has selected the University of Arizona (home of Steward Observatory) to lead the Aspera mission. Aspera is to study gas nebula using ultraviolet sensing telescopes. The project is to launch its first satellite in 2024. <br /><br />It is planned to orbit 465 miles above Earth at what they are calling the 'terminator', which is the demarcation between day and night. I think that would be some mean feat in orbital science to get a satellite half the size of a refrigerator to hold that position.<br /><br />The U of AZ is seeking a private company to build the satellite to University-supplied specifications. Carlos Vargas, age 30, post-doc researcher is principal team leader.<br /><br />RickAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592992209402300549.post-41338842594818963182021-04-16T21:53:33.444-04:002021-04-16T21:53:33.444-04:00WOW!!! But the National Team presented an awful k...WOW!!! But the National Team presented an awful kludged together mess that would be so complex that it would be prone to failure. Dynetics was just not a big enough name. SpaceX produces. Yes they have had 4 failures in trying to make a fully successful landing of a Starship. However, every flight has developed a lot of data. I am excited to see if SpaceX rolls out some good info on the Moon lander. And I agree that they should use it to transport crew from LEO to Lunar orbit. I know, let the SpaceX private transfer crew stay at the Lunar Gateway while the NASA astronauts make the Moon landing.BillBhttps://www.lastfrontierinbandera.comnoreply@blogger.com