Author Topic: Would it be beneficial for SpaceX to take suggestions from members of the public  (Read 16323 times)

Online Eric Hedman

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Most technology companies have people who pay attention to the rest of the world whether it is from listening to competitors, or through trade journals or forums.  If you are not doing that you get blindsided by competitors.  I am pretty sure people from SpaceX, Blue Origin, ULA, Boeing, Lockheed, etc. are on this forum lurking to see what's going on in the rest of the industry.  Maybe a half dozen people with names many of you would recognize have told me that they read these forums.  I'm sure ideas on here have at least triggered some internal discussions at some of these companies and at space agencies around the world.  So post away your ideas, but consider who might be reading your posts.  Don't count on any patent royalties or even acknowledgement for ideas you give away.   If you want that, don't post your ideas here.

Offline llanitedave

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Unsolicited suggestions are likely to be returned unopened, in the general case

Weird Al doesn't take suggestions from the public for parody song topics.

SpaceX would have the same good reasons not to take suggestions from the public for corporate goals.
"I've just abducted an alien -- now what?"

Offline MATTBLAK

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The best way to take 'suggestions' from the public is to hire the brightest and best people they can; bursting with ideas. And they are already doing that to a big extent. A couple of years back I asked SpaceX public affairs for some info on their vehicles and rockets for an article and paper I was writing. They were friendly, but I was told that I'd need to be an employee to know the kind of things I was asking!

...Mind you; about the only thing I'm qualified to work at SpaceX for is a janitor... ;)
« Last Edit: 05/13/2018 03:34 am by MATTBLAK »
"Those who can't, Blog".   'Space Cadets' of the World - Let us UNITE!! (crickets chirping)

Offline ClayJar

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That's not how patents work.

If you disclosed it to them, then they can't PATENT it, but they can sure use it (unless it is already patented or filed for).

If you disclosed it in a public forum, then probably nobody else can patent it either.

I was thinking more along the lines of "submarine patents" (as have reared their heads in standards processes).  Send the suggestion, let them use it, then sue.  (Since email isn't the least bit authenticated, throw in an "I didn't send that" or have Alice and Bob work together, whatever.)

Offline su27k

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Maybe a half dozen people with names many of you would recognize have told me that they read these forums.

It's more likely they're looking for leaks instead of ideas, there're threads on reddit that were asked to be taken down due to revealing too much.

Offline Slarty1080

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Suggestions from the public might have limited applicability on highly technical issues, but there might be other areas that would be more applicable.

Ideas for publicity along the lines of the Tesla Roadster for instance?

Or ideas for rising funds perhaps? How about selling bits of old rockets? They must have loads of old kit that will never fly again that could be cut up into small parts and sold as “flown in space”?

I suspect a lot of people would wish SpaceX well and might even be willing to donate some money to their cause if they simply made it easy to do so.
My optimistic hope is that it will become cool to really think about things... rather than just doing reactive bullsh*t based on no knowledge (Brian Cox)

Offline ChrisWilson68

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Suggestions from the public might have limited applicability on highly technical issues, but there might be other areas that would be more applicable.

Ideas for publicity along the lines of the Tesla Roadster for instance?

Or ideas for rising funds perhaps? How about selling bits of old rockets? They must have loads of old kit that will never fly again that could be cut up into small parts and sold as “flown in space”?

I suspect a lot of people would wish SpaceX well and might even be willing to donate some money to their cause if they simply made it easy to do so.

The kind of amounts they could make from that might be useful to a couple of guys in a garage trying to get their first VC funding round, but to SpaceX it wouldn't be material.

Offline Slarty1080

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Suggestions from the public might have limited applicability on highly technical issues, but there might be other areas that would be more applicable.

Ideas for publicity along the lines of the Tesla Roadster for instance?

Or ideas for rising funds perhaps? How about selling bits of old rockets? They must have loads of old kit that will never fly again that could be cut up into small parts and sold as “flown in space”?

I suspect a lot of people would wish SpaceX well and might even be willing to donate some money to their cause if they simply made it easy to do so.

The kind of amounts they could make from that might be useful to a couple of guys in a garage trying to get their first VC funding round, but to SpaceX it wouldn't be material.

But they sell T shirts on their web site?
My optimistic hope is that it will become cool to really think about things... rather than just doing reactive bullsh*t based on no knowledge (Brian Cox)

Offline jpfulton314

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i'm not so sure about no, no, no, no, no, etc.  While, as individuals, few of us have the expertise required to advise in any sort of detail, we (and they - SpaceX) have an imagination, it's really hard to see how, even a so-called crazy idea can have unforseen effects.  What I am reading here sounds like projecting the worst perceptions of NASA culture to Sp;aceX.

For sure, I'm not dumb enough to go posting crazy, alien space bat comments into the middle of one of Dmitry's threads on BFR design specifics. I'm not qualified. At the same time if there is an issue or thought I can bring ujp, I'm not so afraid or lack self-confidence to think that my ideas have no value.  We have no way of knowing what thought that may trigger in someone else...i.e. James Burke's Connections.

So while there maybe many armchair rocket scientists, and 'mere' enthusiasts here, there is great value in questions and comments from the mouths of babes.  Who really does know where the next great leap in imagination at SpaceX will come from? 

Offline Lars-J

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i'm not so sure about no, no, no, no, no, etc.  While, as individuals, few of us have the expertise required to advise in any sort of detail, we (and they - SpaceX) have an imagination, it's really hard to see how, even a so-called crazy idea can have unforseen effects.  What I am reading here sounds like projecting the worst perceptions of NASA culture to Sp;aceX.

For sure, I'm not dumb enough to go posting crazy, alien space bat comments into the middle of one of Dmitry's threads on BFR design specifics. I'm not qualified. At the same time if there is an issue or thought I can bring ujp, I'm not so afraid or lack self-confidence to think that my ideas have no value.  We have no way of knowing what thought that may trigger in someone else...i.e. James Burke's Connections.

So while there maybe many armchair rocket scientists, and 'mere' enthusiasts here, there is great value in questions and comments from the mouths of babes.  Who really does know where the next great leap in imagination at SpaceX will come from?

Not from the mouth of babes, that's for sure. That's not how breakthrough's happen.

Online launchwatcher

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The kind of amounts they could make from that might be useful to a couple of guys in a garage trying to get their first VC funding round, but to SpaceX it wouldn't be material.

But they sell T shirts on their web site?
That's marketing, not fundraising.   

Offline Ionmars

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When considering this topic one might recall that Elon himself was inspired by the science fiction stories of his youth. Stories written by would-be space engineers with silly ideas.

Offline Rocket Science

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It was pointed out to me by another member that I was the first to suggest the use of "grid fins" on Falcon for entry control before they appeared coincidence, maybe...
"The laws of physics are unforgiving"
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Offline spacenut

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I have been on this website for about 10 years or more now.  I have seen a lot of good ideas before they were actually tried. 

Offline ChrisWilson68

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I have been on this website for about 10 years or more now.  I have seen a lot of good ideas before they were actually tried.

It's not enough that there are some good ideas from some members of the public.  SpaceX employees' time is a precious resource.  The question is whether it's worth their time to be reading through suggestions from the general public as opposed to listening to other SpaceX employees, going to industry and academic conferences, reading academic papers, talking to former classmates and coworkers in the field, etc.

Edit: and, also, they should probably be spending some of their time actually doing their jobs.
« Last Edit: 05/14/2018 02:29 am by ChrisWilson68 »

Offline Ionmars

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I have been on this website for about 10 years or more now.  I have seen a lot of good ideas before they were actually tried.

It's not enough that there are some good ideas from some members of the public.  SpaceX employees' time is a precious resource.  The question is whether it's worth their time to be reading through suggestions from the general public as opposed to listening to other SpaceX employees, going to industry and academic conferences, reading academic papers, talking to former classmates and coworkers in the field, etc.

Edit: and, also, they should probably be spending some of their time actually doing their jobs.
Quite right. This is the reason that persons on NSF have collaborated to present certain ideas in a professional format, like an abbreviated engineering study. Such a study could spell out the concept and evaluate it to point out advantages and pitfalls. Going to this trouble on our part actually helps the SpaceX engineer; we have already done some of the preliminary work for him.

Here is an idea published last year through the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA):

Offline Ionmars

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Jf you don’t want to read the multi-page report, here is an image from Coauthor Lamomtagne that presents the idea in a nutshell:

Offline philw1776

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It was pointed out to me by another member that I was the first to suggest the use of "grid fins" on Falcon for entry control before they appeared coincidence, maybe...

Well deserved kudos.
But as to this thread, such a suggestion is something well known to practitioners of the art, aerospace engineers.  Any competent aerospace engineer would have known of grid fins and would at least consider their use.  Point being regarding the thread topic, this was not a "suggestion from the public" that SpaceX would not have entertained on their own.
« Last Edit: 05/14/2018 11:38 am by philw1776 »
FULL SEND!!!!

Offline JamesH65

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It was pointed out to me by another member that I was the first to suggest the use of "grid fins" on Falcon for entry control before they appeared coincidence, maybe...

Well deserved kudos.
But as to this thread, such a suggestion is something well known to practitioners of the art, aerospace engineers.  Any competent aerospace engineer would have known of grid fins and would at least consider their use.  Point being regarding the thread topic, this was not a "suggestion from the public" that SpaceX would not have entertained on their own.

I think this hits the nail on the head. Although an idea may be posed on here, and appears to be novel and useful, in all likelihood, it's already been thought of elsewhere. Very few ideas are actually as novel as their promoters might think.

Offline docmordrid

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>
Or ideas for rising funds perhaps? How about selling bits of old rockets? They must have loads of old kit that will never fly again that could be cut up into small parts and sold as “flown in space”?

I suspect a lot of people would wish SpaceX well and might even be willing to donate some money to their cause if they simply made it easy to do so.

The kind of amounts they could make from that might be useful to a couple of guys in a garage trying to get their first VC funding round, but to SpaceX it wouldn't be material.

They don't need that kind of minor funding,

CNBC....

Quote
...the offering of 3 million new shares raises SpaceX's valuation to $27.5 billion, according to Equidate and two people familiar with the fundraising.

"There is an unlimited amount of funding that the company could probably access globally in private markets," Hilmer said, adding that he has personally met many of "a diverse group" interested in SpaceX.

"Everywhere I travel around the world, investors of all types — individuals, family offices, hedge funds, sovereign wealth funds or private equity — want to get into SpaceX," Hilmer said. "It's almost all investors I talk to."

Such vast, unparalleled interest from private investors gives SpaceX "a lot of runway" to continue its "very long-term approach" to the development of its business, Hilmer said.
DM

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