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Elon Musk Trying to Scrap NASA's Moon Program (futurism.com)
submitted 2 years ago by to c/world@quokk.au
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Consequently, the South African billionaire has been put in charge of a so-called "Department of Government Efficiency" to excise $2 trillion from the national budget. Whether this advisory group will be able to take aim at the Artemis program remains to be seen.

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[–] 55 points 2 years ago (4 children)

He knows SpaceX can't deliver what they promised for the Moon program, so he needs to change the goalposts. Obviously NASA isn't suddenly going to request less of SpaceX, not without demanding back all the funding awarded. So he needs to have the Moon program replaced with a Mars program, where they don't need to deliver anything for the next 10-15 years and can delay time and time again.

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  • [–] 12 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Yeap, starship looks cool but is entirely impractical for lunar missions.

    Just to get to LEO its fuel is pretty much completely depleted. So to get it fueled up to attempt a trans lunar injection you're going to need an additional 8 launches, which all have to link up in orbit.

    Not only is this going to be adding an incredible amount of additional cost, it's going to be much more dangerous.

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  • [–] -1 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 child)

    There are no humans on starship when it is being re tanked in orbit, so no its not more dangerous to humans. SpaceX are experts at in space docking, proven by their dragon capsule that docks perfectly with the space station evey time, and a startship launch will eventually be cheaper than a Falcon 9 launch. Yes I believe spaceX when they say that because they have always proved the nay sayers wrong (flacon 9 landings) and will continue to do so in the future. So you're wrong calling it expensive, all launches to retank the lander will cost less than a NASA SLS launch that will actually take the humans to space.

    You sound like a United Launch Alliance shill lol, that's the arguments they tried to use to win the contract over spacex too.

    I think most of you hate on SpaceX because of musk, and I agree fuck musk, but spaceX is the most revolutionary space company in our generation and I can't wait to see them continue to prove you all wrong like they always do and keep advancing human space flight capabilities.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 years ago (1 child)

    There are no humans on starship when it is being re tanked in orbit, so no its not more dangerous to humans.

    Unmanned launches can't be dangerous to humans? Even if there aren't humans on the starship, you're still talking about synchronized docking in orbit, which can fail and spew dangerous debris across leo.

    SpaceX are experts at in space docking, proven by their dragon capsule that docks perfectly with the space station evey time.

    Aww yes, two examples are surely a big enough sample to guarantee safety for the foreseeable future. Surely something that's gone right twice has never failed in the future.....

    startship launch will eventually be cheaper than a Falcon 9 launch.

    Maybe for individual launches, But for a lunar or mars mission......

    think most of you hate on SpaceX because of musk, and I agree fuck musk,

    Nah, I think SpaceX has done a lot of brilliant things. I just think musk has a tendency to over hype and over promise whenever he really gets involved in a project.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 years ago

    Aww yes, two examples are surely a big enough sample to guarantee safety for the foreseeable future. Surely something that's gone right twice has never failed in the future.....

    SpaceX has docked over 40 times with the ISS with no issues, of course, there's always a chance for something to go wrong, no matter how reliable a system. But you're grasping at straws with this point, they demonstratively know how to dock in space.

    Nah, I think SpaceX has done a lot of brilliant things. I just think musk has a tendency to over hype and over promise whenever he really gets involved in a project.

    You are absolutely correct, musk always overhypes the shit out of everything and he is always late on his promises. But SpaceX has always delivered and there's no evidence to suggest they won't keep delivering on their promises into the future.

    I still stand by my opinion on the price of the launches. You're concern about LEO debris is a non concern for me because like I said SpaceX knows how to dock in space. I guarantee the first few tests will be in very low orbit so that if something goes wrong all the debris will decay quickly and not risk any infrastructure we have in space.

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  • [–] 5 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

    SpaceX is no further behind than any of the other contractors for artemis, everyone who knows anything about space and space policy knows that no contractor will meet the deadline trump set specifically because he wanted to be on the moon before the end of his second term (he thought he was gonna get reelected last time). Its common knowledge in the space community artemis will not be on time, and has already been delayed.

    I fucking hate musk but you don't know what you're talking about, the new head of nasa is gonna be Elons freind Jared Isaacman anyway so it doesnt matter if they're late at all.

    But you are sorta right on the tail end of your comment, I think musk wants to scrap artemis specifically so a new mission that is almost exclusively done by SpaceX can take its place. Primarily I think he wants SLS to die and starship to replace it.

    Also Elon claims SpaceX is going to launch a starship demo to Mars during the next transfer orbit which is in 2026, and I really hope they do because as much as I hate that bitch space exploration is cool AF.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    I always love the debate about fantasizing about anyone going to colonize Mars ..... we're having a hard time sustaining life here.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    I didn't realize humanity wasn't capable of working on both issues at the same time.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    See the problem with that is Elon would have to hire more people, which would hurt his bottom line and require his money bin to fill at a slower rate. That's unacceptable.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 years ago (1 child)

    Did SpaceX promise anything with the moon? I thought their goal was, and had always been, just Mars?

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  • [–] 12 points 2 years ago

    Spacex is fairly central to the current Artemis moon missions. They are building the lander from the Lunar Gateway (Moon orbiting station) to the surface and back. SLS will take people from Earth to the Lunar Gateway.

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