Space X Rocket Tech

[Aseahawkfan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQ4UHTf4p74

The start of the race for space is underway with private companies now having sufficient capital to start to view space as a new commercial opportunity. Space X is Elon Musk's baby. They are doing pretty amazing feats of science and construction with rockets.

It's hard to pick a winner in this space for investment since the commercial opportunities require far more advancement. But this is what I imagine it looked like before movies like the Aliens or sci fi universes took off: a bunch of rich capitalists trying to build the necessary infrastructure and technology to pursue investment opportunities in space.

This is why I have a hard time imaging Elon spending much time trying to force the inefficient government to use its money wisely when the human masses are satisfied with subsistence living while he's looking to go to the stars and colonize Mars.

[River Dog]

Growing up, I was a HUGE space nut, watched on live TV every US manned lift off from Alan Shepard to the Space Shuttle. I'd write to NASA installations, and they'd send me all sorts of stuff, huge glossy photos, signed pictures of the astronauts, etc. Don't ever challenge me to a trivia contest involving the space race. I once went to the Museum of Flight, started asking questions that the host couldn't answer, like why they did away with the landing bag they had on the Mercury capsules, and the guy went and got his boss.

I've paid some attention to what they're currently doing. Mars is still a pipe dream, a huge engineering challenge to overcome before they even consider sending humans to the planet not to mention colonization. What's more realistic is the colonization of the moon, but even that is several decades into the future.

At this point, Space X and Blue Horizon are living on NASA contracts. They are not self-sufficient. That's still a long way into the future.

[Aseahawkfan]

Growing up, I was a HUGE space nut, watched on live TV every US manned lift off from Alan Shepard to the Space Shuttle. I'd write to NASA installations, and they'd send me all sorts of stuff, huge glossy photos, signed pictures of the astronauts, etc. Don't ever challenge me to a trivia contest involving the space race. I once went to the Museum of Flight, started asking questions that the host couldn't answer, like why they did away with the landing bag they had on the Mercury capsules, and the guy went and got his boss.

I've paid some attention to what they're currently doing. Mars is still a pipe dream, a huge engineering challenge to overcome before they even consider sending humans to the planet not to mention colonization. What's more realistic is the colonization of the moon, but even that is several decades into the future.

At this point, Space X and Blue Horizon are living on NASA contracts. They are not self-sufficient. That's still a long way into the future.

You need to dig a bit deeper. Satellite launching is where their money is, not NASA contracts. Lots of companies need satellites now including Elon's Starlink company which is looking to make a satellite global internet service. Why you gave up following the space race now that it is privatizing with billionaires with more money than NASA's budget and huge cash flow generating companies helping fund the space race is surprising.

The world has changed since you're days following the space race. We have global multibillionaires with companies that earn more than NASA's budget by a good amount pursuing the quest for space.

NASA's budget for 2024 is about 25 billion. Amazon earns more than that much every month and Elon has six times that in equity on top of his companies generating revenue.

These guys are serious about the space race. Satellite deployment is but one of the private enterprises they pursue, often for companies requiring satellite such as cell phone companies as well as the government. I told you about Bezos belief in building huge, orbiting colonies of humans around the planet to preserve natural resources while allowing population overflow to live in orbiting space living and working spaces. You've seen that space ladder? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_elevator

I'm sure you tracked the information coming from the Mars rover as we slowly map the red planet.

How could you stop following the space race when it is just getting interesting again? There's a lot of focus on space now. A lot more money from the private sector wanting to go there. And more reason than ever to look to the stars as our technology improves.

Did you watch the video I posted above? Space X caught a booster rocket to reuse it. Reusing booster rockets would be a huge advancement in cost efficiency for launching into space.

[River Dog]

Growing up, I was a HUGE space nut, watched on live TV every US manned lift off from Alan Shepard to the Space Shuttle. I'd write to NASA installations, and they'd send me all sorts of stuff, huge glossy photos, signed pictures of the astronauts, etc. Don't ever challenge me to a trivia contest involving the space race. I once went to the Museum of Flight, started asking questions that the host couldn't answer, like why they did away with the landing bag they had on the Mercury capsules, and the guy went and got his boss.

I've paid some attention to what they're currently doing. Mars is still a pipe dream, a huge engineering challenge to overcome before they even consider sending humans to the planet not to mention colonization. What's more realistic is the colonization of the moon, but even that is several decades into the future.

At this point, Space X and Blue Horizon are living on NASA contracts. They are not self-sufficient. That's still a long way into the future.

You need to dig a bit deeper. Satellite launching is where their money is, not NASA contracts. Lots of companies need satellites now including Elon's Starlink company which is looking to make a satellite global internet service. Why you gave up following the space race now that it is privatizing with billionaires with more money than NASA's budget and huge cash flow generating companies helping fund the space race is surprising.

The world has changed since you're days following the space race. We have global multibillionaires with companies that earn more than NASA's budget by a good amount pursuing the quest for space.

NASA's budget for 2024 is about 25 billion. Amazon earns more than that much every month and Elon has six times that in equity on top of his companies generating revenue.

These guys are serious about the space race. Satellite deployment is but one of the private enterprises they pursue, often for companies requiring satellite such as cell phone companies as well as the government. I told you about Bezos belief in building huge, orbiting colonies of humans around the planet to preserve natural resources while allowing population overflow to live in orbiting space living and working spaces. You've seen that space ladder? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_elevator

I'm sure you tracked the information coming from the Mars rover as we slowly map the red planet.

How could you stop following the space race when it is just getting interesting again? There's a lot of focus on space now. A lot more money from the private sector wanting to go there. And more reason than ever to look to the stars as our technology improves.

Did you watch the video I posted above? Space X caught a booster rocket to reuse it. Reusing booster rockets would be a huge advancement in cost efficiency for launching into space.

I thought you were talking about manned missions beyond Earth's orbit, colorizations, etc. Obviously, there's a big market for orbiting satellites.

Yes, I've seen Space X videos with their reusable boosters. And you're right about improving cost and efficiency. It boggles the mind to think of the Saturn V, a huge, extremely expensive vehicle that almost all went to waste a few minutes after launch.
 
Space flight doesn't interest me as much as it did back in the 60's and 70's. The romance is gone. There's nothing particularly unique, more like a been there done that kind of an emotion. It's also a different day and time. With 3 channels and nothing else for entertainment, you had to watch it. It was the only game in town, so to speak.

I have casually followed most of the robotic missions, including not only the Mars rovers but the probes to Saturn and Jupiter, and of course, the Voyager craft that they're still gleaning information from nearly 50 years after launch. Amazing what they can do with 70's tech and almost a half a century in such a harsh environment so far away from home. I've also followed things like the James Webb telescope. But most of that stuff is discovery science and research with not a lot of practical applications, at least not in the near future.

[Aseahawkfan]

At least you're following some of it.

I know you are not following Elon much other than his I think misguided foray into politics, but who knows, maybe he'll get something he wants, but he's building a very intelligent colonization machine. I find that interesting.

He has a few companies:
1. Tesla: This is the one everyone knows about. Electric vehicles and solar and energy management company. From what I understand, solar and electric vehicles will be necessary for space. He has also pushed Tesla into the humanoid robot business and is looking at constructing humanoid robots for uses on earth and likely space as well. He is pushing for autonomous vehicles as well.

2. Starlink: A satellite internet provider. He believes he can deploy a satellite internet system around other planets to build communication and information sharing systems.

3. Space X: He needs a vehicle to move into space, launch satellites and materials and get to the planet.

4. Boring Company: This one builds tunnels and a high speed travel system. https://www.boringcompany.com/ This would allow a colony to build underground transportation systems on other planets, so they could avoid the inhospitable environments.

5. X, formerly known as Twitter: He's discussed this as a mass announcement and communication system for a colony.

Whether or not he can put this all together to colonize another planet, we shall see. But I think the planning is pretty solid. Elon is a very smart guy. I wish he would stay out of politics, but I understand he also needs the connections to get all of this stuff done. Elon is probably the entrepreneur with the most well designed plan for colonization and developing the technology necessary to do so. His plan is pretty comprehensive and he is trying to build a vertically integrated colonization system of private companies that would support each other. I think the main thing he hasn't built yet is the food supply system, but I'm sure he is working on it.

I know some companies are building portable nuclear power systems for use in areas with no available power and possibly other planets. Elon doesn't seem to be involved in these types of nuclear power systems yet. He may view solar as the only good planetary power system as sun or starlight is everywhere in the universe other than black holes or dark space. It's the main energy source that can be used for expansion unless we develop fusion energy sources.

[River Dog]

I know some companies are building portable nuclear power systems for use in areas with no available power and possibly other planets. Elon doesn't seem to be involved in these types of nuclear power systems yet. He may view solar as the only good planetary power system as sun or starlight is everywhere in the universe other than black holes or dark space. It's the main energy source that can be used for expansion unless we develop fusion energy sources.

Solar and wind have problems. Solar is OK for space applications as it can get constant exposure to the sun. But for terrestrial power production, it is not a reliable source as it is obviously dependent on the sun shining. Wind has the same problem as it is not a constant source, and thus, neither can be ramped up to meet demand. And especially in the case of wind, they take up a huge amount of 3-dimensional space, cause problems for fighting wildfires, are an environmental hazard for several species of birds, and a lot of people don't like looking at them.

Modular nuclear reactors are coming. They make way too much sense not to. But before we get into fusion reactors, which is still a decade or more away from fruition, there are much cheaper and safer fission reactors in the works that utilize off the shelf technology, are a lot closer to being shovel-ready than fusion and have all sorts of advantages over so-called renewable sources. They have small footprints, are much safer to operate and cheaper to build, can be located close to existing substations so they don't require a huge, new grid network, don't have to be way off in the boondocks like wind and solar, reducing transmission loss. I've seen some reactors that are small enough that they can be transported to the site on the back of a flatbed truck, which makes them ideal for remote areas, islands, etc. And unlike wind and solar, they're more reliable as they don't have to rely on mother nature's cooperation and provide base-load electricity that can be adjusted to meet demand. Amazon, of all companies, is partnering with the utility that operates the PNW's only operating nuclear reactor here in the Tri Cities:

https://www.energy-northwest.com/whowea ... ngton.aspx

The one good thing that the Biden Administration has done was to provide tax breaks for these projects. I wish the hell our state government would get behind these small, safe modular reactors and forget about this massive wind project with turbines taller than the Space Needle and that stretch some 24 miles across the skyline that nearly 80% of the local residents, including the NA tribes, don't want. It's a huge issue in this neck of the woods.

The country needs to get over the paranoia we've developed about anything nuclear. These modular reactors offer a real promise of getting off the burning of fossil fuels while meeting an increasing demand for electricity.

Here's another article about small, modular fission reactors:

https://interestingengineering.com/ener ... -sub-20-mw

[Aseahawkfan]

Solar and wind have problems. Solar is OK for space applications as it can get constant exposure to the sun. But for terrestrial power production, it is not a reliable source as it is obviously dependent on the sun shining. Wind has the same problem as it is not a constant source, and thus, neither can be ramped up to meet demand. And especially in the case of wind, they take up a huge amount of 3-dimensional space, cause problems for fighting wildfires, are an environmental hazard for several species of birds, and a lot of people don't like looking at them.

Modular nuclear reactors are coming. They make way too much sense not to. But before we get into fusion reactors, which is still a decade or more away from fruition, there are much cheaper and safer fission reactors in the works that utilize off the shelf technology, are a lot closer to being shovel-ready than fusion and have all sorts of advantages over so-called renewable sources. They have small footprints, are much safer to operate and cheaper to build, can be located close to existing substations so they don't require a huge, new grid network, don't have to be way off in the boondocks like wind and solar, reducing transmission loss. I've seen some reactors that are small enough that they can be transported to the site on the back of a flatbed truck, which makes them ideal for remote areas, islands, etc. And unlike wind and solar, they're more reliable as they don't have to rely on mother nature's cooperation and provide base-load electricity that can be adjusted to meet demand. Amazon, of all companies, is partnering with the utility that operates the PNW's only operating nuclear reactor here in the Tri Cities:

https://www.energy-northwest.com/whowea ... ngton.aspx

The one good thing that the Biden Administration has done was to provide tax breaks for these projects. I wish the hell our state government would get behind these small, safe modular reactors and forget about this massive wind project with turbines taller than the Space Needle and that stretch some 24 miles across the skyline that nearly 80% of the local residents, including the NA tribes, don't want. It's a huge issue in this neck of the woods.

The country needs to get over the paranoia we've developed about anything nuclear. These modular reactors offer a real promise of getting off the burning of fossil fuels while meeting an increasing demand for electricity.

Here's another article about small, modular fission reactors:

https://interestingengineering.com/ener ... -sub-20-mw

Elon is focused on space, so solar is important to develop as it is the energy source most available in space.

Nuclear seems to be coming back as an option. I've been looking at portable, modular reactor companies, but they are pre-revenue and getting hyped up. I hate when company's stock price gets hype driven rather than fundamentally driven. That makes it very risky with a chance of huge losses, but there always seem to be some gamblers and traders who love to ramp the prices up to the point where investing is extremely risky. SMR stock is a modular reactor stock. Already a 2 billion plus valuation with no revenue. We will see how effective these modular reactors are, but they may be an option for space. The colonization of space will require a renewable energy source and likely some other sources for the initial build like a portable nuclear reactor which would provide the power to get up and running as you build out the solar power system to sustain the colony on another planet until you can determine if there are sufficient materials for some other power source to work.

Power in space has to be provided by the most abundantly available energy source, which would be the stars and sun. You can't be sure of a carbon-based energy system on another planet because with no life, they likely won't have had the massive death of carbon-based organisms which led to the abundance of oil. You can't even be sure of finding nuclear material for that energy source on other planets. Wind isn't assured in space either. So your main two option are solar and fusion which is decades away, if not longer.

Be fun to see a man on Mars before I die, but not sure they'll make that happen in that time frame. How I would love to come back to life in a 100 years just to see what humans have done by that time.

On top of making money, the amazing technology development by the business community is why I prefer the financial news over the mainstream news. They are always doing something interesting and offering other people the chance to invest in their endeavors and make money. Most Americans don't pay attention to it and watch he mainstream news making it seem like Donald Trump or whatever clown is running for office more important than people in the business community, but I've watched for years and the business community makes far more impact on our lives than whoever is president. Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, and Elon Musk have done more to change the world for the better than any president of the last 30 or 40 years. Presidents come and go, but these businesses make life changing technology that powers our future and changes our world. I'd rather keep track of it and make money on their pursuits than follow the clowns who end up in office mismanaging the government to the point no regular person could do because they just print more money and devalue our money and create an environment not particularly great for human success, while their manipulated followers pretend their candidate is better while they spend decades arguing over the same problems every single four year presidential cycle. One side cuts taxes, drives up the deficit and does nothing. The other side keeps spending and spending, drives up the deficit claims they can fix it by taxing the rich when they never, ever have fixed it regardless of how much they tax.

I'd rather see business people keep their money and make life better. The ones who built and scaled electricity, the internet, computers, television, food production, and just about everything else. If we colonize space, it's likely going to be because business people developed a plan, executed the plan, and scaled it for widespread, cost efficient use.

[River Dog]

I'd rather see business people keep their money and make life better. The ones who built and scaled electricity, the internet, computers, television, food production, and just about everything else. If we colonize space, it's likely going to be because business people developed a plan, executed the plan, and scaled it for widespread, cost efficient use.

I'm the opposite. I like what guys like Gates and Bezos are doing with their money. Gates' company has broken ground on a nuclear power plant in a small former coal mining town in Wyoming that should be up and running by the end of the decade. Those people need the work and the business it will bring in. It wouldn't have happened without his direct involvement. Same with Bezos/Amazon, investing in the nuclear plants here in the Tri Cities.

I'm a huge proponent of the nuclear industry. Ever since Three Mile Island, this country has suffered from a severe paranoia over anything that has the word nuclear or atomic in it.

[Aseahawkfan]

I'm the opposite. I like what guys like Gates and Bezos are doing with their money. Gates' company has broken ground on a nuclear power plant in a small former coal mining town in Wyoming that should be up and running by the end of the decade. Those people need the work and the business it will bring in. It wouldn't have happened without his direct involvement. Same with Bezos/Amazon, investing in the nuclear plants here in the Tri Cities.

I'm a huge proponent of the nuclear industry. Ever since Three Mile Island, this country has suffered from a severe paranoia over anything that has the word nuclear or atomic in it.

The opposite of what? Did you misread what I wrote? It seems you did with that response. You seemed to have misunderstood the context of the statement. Business people keeping their money meant not having it taken as government tax revenue by Democrats that don't spend it or use it well. So many Democrats advocate for taxing the wealthy when the government clearly doesn't manage money well and it's a bad idea to have them take the money from people who would use it in a much more efficient and productive manner.