I wonder if we can get Elon Musk to buy Linden Labs...

[Love Zhaoying]

8 hours ago, Drayke Newall said:

The rockets NASA used until recently were even all Russian made. It is only recently that NASA through SpaceX has been able to use American made rockets and they are privately owned.

A quick Google search yields interesting, if (probably unintentionally hilarious) results. 

[Love Zhaoying]

16 minutes ago, Arielle Popstar said:

The US tax payer is having to pay SpaceX substantially less then it would have had Nasa awarded the contract to one of its competitors or maintained working on their own version which has already cost the taxpayer 20 Billion and expected to rise another 7 Billion compared to the 2.9 Billion they have paid to SpaceX. 

Right, but let's give Musk credit for it. Even if we are paying for it. Sounds legit.

[SarahKB7 Koskinen]

NASA's Space Launch System (SLS)/Artemis rocket doesn't use Russian engines, it uses the same type of rocket engines that flew on the Space Shuttle, the RS-25.

In fact, all the Space Shuttle orbiters you'll see in museums now all had their RS-25 main engines removed and swapped out for fake ones, as these same engines are needed for the SLS programme.

When these RS-25 engines were used in the shuttles, they were reusable. But when used with the SLS, they are one time use only and disposable.  Which annoys a lot of the Space Shuttle historians....

Edited May 13, 2022 by SarahKB7 Koskinen

[Arielle Popstar]

1 minute ago, StarlanderGoods said:

Absolutely not, first of all, I wouldnt call them "Musk´s" accomplishments, if I pay someone to do something for me, I wont go around taking credit for doing the thing.

But what I complain about, the thing that bothers me, are the blind fanboys, ready to kiss the ground Elon steps on, and that they dont understand that he is not a rocket scientists, not an engineer, he is just a money guy.

Well maybe because he actually presents potential solutions and puts his money into them. He gives those people hope rather then the usual negativity that is normally heard from naysayers. Elon Musk is not just the money guy but also has a BA in Physics which is a good foundation for engineering as well as having grown up with a father who is an engineer. Considering Musk's focus on technological fields, he very likely has a natural high level mechanical engineering aptitude in addition to the Yale University and the University of Surrey in England having both bestowed upon him Honorary Doctorate Degrees in Engineering Technology and Aerospace Engineering, respectively.

Quote

 

Elon musk

Doctor of Engineering and Technology

Through your energy and ingenuity, you are changing the way we live our lives. Your involvement with PayPal revolutionized everyday financial transactions. Similarly, you are re-envisioning transportation, on Earth with Tesla Motors and Hyperloop, and beyond with Space X and commercial space flight. You are also helping to transform energy production, delivery, and consumption through solar technology. Your generosity through The Giving Pledge is inspiring. You have the rare gift of imagining the impossible and making it happen.  For your entrepreneurial spirit and your creative genius, we bestow on you the degree:  Doctor of Engineering and Technology. https://news.yale.edu/2015/05/15/yale-awards-nine-honorary-degrees-commencement-2015

 

 

[Arielle Popstar]

6 minutes ago, Love Zhaoying said:

Right, but let's give Musk credit for it. Even if we are paying for it. Sounds legit.

You're paying for the contract, not the innovation that led to him having the best solution for your space travel needs. The innovation came first, then the willingness of Nasa to invest in it. Don't try putting the cart before the horse and then want credit for it.

[Love Zhaoying]

10 minutes ago, SarahKB7 Koskinen said:

NASA's SLS/Artemis programme doesn't use Russian engines, it uses the same type of rocket engines that flew on the Space Shuttle.  In fact, all the Space Shuttle orbiter engines you'll see in museums had their main engines removed and swapped out for fake ones, as the these same engines are needed for the SLS programme.

Interesting.
https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/rs-25-rocket-engines-return-to-launch-artemis-moon-missions.html

[Love Zhaoying]

10 minutes ago, Arielle Popstar said:

maybe

11 minutes ago, Arielle Popstar said:

very likely

I shall endeavor not to challenge your logic in the future, even though these were part of replies to someone else!

 

[SarahKB7 Koskinen]

3 minutes ago, Love Zhaoying said:

endeavor

Endeavour *

Edited May 12, 2022 by SarahKB7 Koskinen

[Love Zhaoying]

9 minutes ago, SarahKB7 Koskinen said:

12 minutes ago, Love Zhaoying said:

endeavor

Endeavour *

This must be one of those "Tell me you're a Brit without telling me you're a Brit" things, unless you're making a joke of course. I used the American spelling. The "*our" spelling makes sense as a "name".
 

https://grammarist.com/usage/endeavor-endeavour/#:~:text=Endeavor is the U.S. spelling,those words are often better.

Also: "The orbiter is named after the British HMS Endeavour"

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Endeavour

Edited May 12, 2022 by Love Zhaoying

[SarahKB7 Koskinen]

I'm not a "Brit". How very dare you. 😜

I'm English, speaking English, because we English created English. And England!

😂

Edited May 12, 2022 by SarahKB7 Koskinen

[Love Zhaoying]

3 minutes ago, SarahKB7 Koskinen said:

I'm not a "Brit". How very dare you. 😜

I'm English, speaking English, because we English created English. And England!

😂

Ah, now I see your..Angle.

[Drayke Newall]

4 hours ago, AnthonyJoanne said:

From wikipedia:

The largest production model of the Saturn family of rockets, the Saturn V was designed under the direction of Wernher von Braun at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama; the lead contractors were Boeing, North American Aviation, Douglas Aircraft Company, and IBM. A total of 15 flight-capable vehicles were built, plus three for ground testing. Thirteen were launched from Kennedy Space Center with no loss of crew or payload. A total of 24 astronauts were launched to the Moon from December 1968 through December 1972.

Given that we're talking about the space race, and not recent history ... I think you need to qualify your statement just a little.

I was talking about both the space race and recent history hence my spacex comment.

Recent history being that NASA stopped their shuttle program in 2011 and since then have used Russian rockets/engines exclusively but started using Russian rockets in the Atlas 3 built in 2000. But you are correct, I should have clarified that in my post.

[Lindal Kidd]

12 hours ago, Drayke Newall said:

The rockets NASA used until recently were even all Russian made.

Not true. For many years, all through the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Space Shuttle programs, all of NASA's rockets were 100% made in the USA. When the Shuttle was retired, the US had no man-rated launch vehicles and had to pay for rides on Russian ones. Around the same time, Lockheed Martin chose to use the Russian-built RD-180 engines for its Atlas series of launch vehicles. These were excellent engines, better than any the US could build at the time. However, at times of international tension, such as Russia's seizure of the Crimea in 2014, or their invasion of Ukraine today, Russia threatened to cut off the supply. The US determined it would be in the national interest to develop (again) the capability to make their own rocket engines. SpaceX stepped in, big time, with their Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy vehicles, powered by their own Merlin engines. NASA also has a contract with Blue Origin to develop a new engine.

TL:DR - All of America's rockets are American-made, although some contain Russian-built engines.

[Love Zhaoying]

20 minutes ago, Lindal Kidd said:

Not true. For many years, all through the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Space Shuttle programs, all of NASA's rockets were 100% made in the USA. When the Shuttle was retired, the US had no man-rated launch vehicles and had to pay for rides on Russian ones. Around the same time, Lockheed Martin chose to use the Russian-built RD-180 engines for its Atlas series of launch vehicles. These were excellent engines, better than any the US could build at the time. However, at times of international tension, such as Russia's seizure of the Crimea in 2014, or their invasion of Ukraine today, Russia threatened to cut off the supply. The US determined it would be in the national interest to develop (again) the capability to make their own rocket engines. SpaceX stepped in, big time, with their Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy vehicles, powered by their own Merlin engines. NASA also has a contract with Blue Origin to develop a new engine.

TL:DR - All of America's rockets are American-made, although some contain Russian-built engines.

Thanks, I knew their claim was wrong but with the other 2-3 similar posts out there, didn't want to stick my neck out. Obviously during the Cold War (and for instance, pre-Apollo/Soyuz), the US would not be using Soviet rockets or engines. My initial thought was, "poster must only know recent history". "All", my foot (or lower).

[Jules Catlyn]

What both Jobs and Musk have in common is that they both founded severely overrated brands.

[SarahKB7 Koskinen]

You might be surprised to learn that Elon Musk didn't actually found the Tesla car company.

Tesla Motors, as it was originally named, was founded on 1st July 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning.

In 2006 Tesla "created" (cough!) the Tesla Roadster (a modified Lotus Elise which ran on electric batteries).

Elon Musk became a major shareholder in Tesla in 2004 and became Tesla CEO in 2008.

^ Lotus Elise (left) & Tesla Roadster (right)

Edited May 12, 2022 by SarahKB7 Koskinen

[Love Zhaoying]

Just now, SarahKB7 Koskinen said:

You might be surprised to know or learn is that Elon Musk didn't actually found the Tesla car company.

He in fact bought the Tesla company after it had already been operating since July 2003 as a company which converted Lotus sports cars to run off electric batteries.

Elon Musk became a major shareholder in Tesla in 2004 and became CEO in 2008.

Despite this information, some will still give musk Credit for Tesla because!!1!! Honorary degrees!1!!!

[Luna Bliss]

6 hours ago, AnthonyJoanne said:

I wrote a quite lengthy explanation of what I mean by this, but given that the forum has taken to censoring my posts I have no doubt that would have been enough to get me hidden as well. Suffice to say that the current political and social landscape is not one which permits freedom of speech or expression except where approved by a small percentage of the population who have used social media to amplify their voices through the use of bots and sock puppets.

Don't believe me? Companies who believed those voices to be much larger than they actually are have experienced marked downturns in their profits ... have a look at Gillette and Disney for the evidence.

LOL

[Lindal Kidd]

6 hours ago, AnthonyJoanne said:

...given that the forum has taken to censoring my posts I have no doubt that would have been enough to get me hidden as well. Suffice to say that the current political and social landscape is not one which permits freedom of speech or expression except where approved by a small percentage of the population who have used social media to amplify their voices through the use of bots and sock puppets.

[Arielle Popstar]

1 hour ago, Jules Catlyn said:

What both Jobs and Musk have in common is that they both founded severely overrated brands.

Maybe so but they drive/drove the market and the competition, setting the pace and trends.

[Coffee Pancake]

6 minutes ago, Arielle Popstar said:

Maybe so but they drive/drove the market and the competition, setting the pace and trends.

They both stand upon the shoulders of giants and the backs of their workers, proudly proclaiming they had made all this wonderment.

[Arielle Popstar]

5 minutes ago, Coffee Pancake said:

They both stand upon the shoulders of giants and the backs of their workers, proudly proclaiming they had made all this wonderment.

 

And they did because they initiated and then coordinated the effort to produce something that benefitted us overall. Too bad there isn't someone like that for here or S/L would be a lot further along then it is now.

[StarlanderGoods]

All I want, is the third season of "For All Mankind", I will strop trashing Elon when he steps in and funds ilimited seasons of the series.

[Istelathis]

7 hours ago, Arielle Popstar said:

Both of you seem to be complaining more that Musk's accomplishments are not as far or coming as fast as you'd like.

That really is on him, he keeps making promises that certain technologies will be available by a deadline and he keeps missing them.  Mind you, these are not just estimates on his part, they are statements of fact, and he keeps on missing them.  He has been doing this for years now, and people keep believing him.

To be faire Arielle, I do think one day humans will land on mars, I think we may do all sorts of things that are currently thought to be unrealistic.  I don't see Musk at the forefront of it all though, I think more than likely other people will accomplish these feats. 

I don't think we need Musk to spur on innovation, he likes to take the credit for it and being given the credit for all modern innovation and the savior of mankind, but if he were to vanish from the face of the Earth, there would still be real innovators out there, as well as people pushing for innovation financially. I think for some reason people wanted to put a face to this innovation, and they elected to make it Elon Musk, and put all of the credit and hope for humanity with him.

[SarahKB7 Koskinen]

3 hours ago, StarlanderGoods said:

All I want, is the third season of "For All Mankind", I will strop trashing Elon when he steps in and funds ilimited seasons of the series.

Third one is out soon™

Edited May 12, 2022 by SarahKB7 Koskinen