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#60
by
geza
on 27 Feb, 2017 21:00
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No mention of a crew, only 2 passengers?
People, who are going to spend so much money, are probaly ready to learn to push the abort button in case...
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#61
by
Jakusb
on 27 Feb, 2017 21:00
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So, coincidence that just when Trump seems to start pushing NASA to go for the moon first, Elon might beat them too it...?!
What are the odds that Trumps want to own that show and demands NASA to either get there first or put NASA astronauts in the MoonDragon?
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#62
by
docmordrid
on 27 Feb, 2017 21:00
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Wonder if @astro_g_dogg is going?
(Garrett Reisman)
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#63
by
MATTBLAK
on 27 Feb, 2017 21:00
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I'm somehow glum about this announcement. I mean, it's great that this move is happening - that the technology and processes will be developed to further humanity into space. But at the same time - to have that first great leap in 50 year go to ... tourists!?. This hurts and makes me a bit angry. People with extreme amounts of money are yet again able to buy their way though life. I would have been happier if the announcement read: "Wealthy private individuals donate significant money to SpaceX to train and launch two engineering citizen scientists on a free return orbit of the moon. The two future private astronauts will be chosen based on merit, education, and their ability to stimulate and captivate the future generation of space explorer..." (you get the idea).
Am I alone in this?
Once they prove the concept, perhaps they could increase the future crews by 1x person. I would love it if each 'wealthy individual' who got a seat had to nominate a young science or engineering student to either accompany them or take the next flight in the series! Or perhaps Elon and a commercial entity could start a scholarship fund to get young folk in on this venture. In less than a generation, it could substantially reduce the proliferation of 'Hoaxtard' thinking.
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#64
by
bob the martian
on 27 Feb, 2017 21:00
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SLS program managers can not be happy about this. This will only up the pressure for a crewed EM-1 mission.
SpaceX is stepping on some pretty big toes with this announcement. We knew it was going to happen eventually, though.
Having said all that...whoa. Talk about a test under fire. Guidance, comms, ECLSS, hot return, plus the very real risk of death. If anyone can pull it off SpaceX can, but...woof.
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#65
by
envy887
on 27 Feb, 2017 21:00
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This makes me nervous the same way a crewed EM-1 mission does. On the other hand, Falcon Heavy and Dragon should have a few flights under their belts by then, which retires the risk substantially. Other than the Falcon Heavy demo mission, though, do we have any idea how many FH launches we'll see by next year? Seems high risk--if stuff goes south, SpaceX could have a PR disaster on their hands that could jeopardize their long-term goals.
STP-2 should fly shortly after the demo. The boosters for that flight are already built, per russianhalo.
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#66
by
Machdiamond
on 27 Feb, 2017 21:01
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There are quotes from the telcon floating around in various twitter accounts and news media, like this from CBS:
"[Elon Musk] said the passengers will be paying roughly the same amount as previous tourists have spent to visit the space station. That would be somewhere between $50 million and $80 million."
Looking forward to the full transcript of that telcon.
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#67
by
HailColumbia
on 27 Feb, 2017 21:01
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I'm somehow glum about this announcement. I mean, it's great that this move is happening - that the technology and processes will be developed to further humanity into space. But at the same time - to have that first great leap in 50 year go to ... tourists!?. This hurts and makes me a bit angry. People with extreme amounts of money are yet again able to buy their way though life. I would have been happier if the announcement read: "Wealthy private individuals donate significant money to SpaceX to train and launch two engineering citizen scientists on a free return orbit of the moon. The two future private astronauts will be chosen based on merit, education, and their ability to stimulate and captivate the future generation of space explorer..." (you get the idea).
Am I alone in this?
meh... only two tourists, I'm sure there will be one or two Space X crew / astronauts on board as well. I doubt they are going to go fully automated.
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#68
by
Lars-J
on 27 Feb, 2017 21:01
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I'm somehow glum about this announcement. I mean, it's great that this move is happening - that the technology and processes will be developed to further humanity into space. But at the same time - to have that first great leap in 50 year go to ... tourists!?. This hurts and makes me a bit angry. People with extreme amounts of money are yet again able to buy their way though life. I would have been happier if the announcement read: "Wealthy private individuals donate significant money to SpaceX to train and launch two engineering citizen scientists on a free return orbit of the moon. The two future private astronauts will be chosen based on merit, education, and their ability to stimulate and captivate the future generation of space explorer..." (you get the idea).
Am I alone in this?
I understand your concern, but think - Is it magically better if it is government employees rather than tourists? We need to get out of the state of mind that only a few NASA employees a year can go to space. If all this does is break that mold, then it is not necessarily a bad thing.
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#69
by
Space Ghost 1962
on 27 Feb, 2017 21:01
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I'm somehow glum about this announcement. I mean, it's great that this move is happening - that the technology and processes will be developed to further humanity into space. But at the same time - to have that first great leap in 50 year go to ... tourists!?. This hurts and makes me a bit angry. People with extreme amounts of money are yet again able to buy their way though life. I would have been happier if the announcement read: "Wealthy private individuals donate significant money to SpaceX to train and launch two engineering citizen scientists on a free return orbit of the moon. The two future private astronauts will be chosen based on merit, education, and their ability to stimulate and captivate the future generation of space explorer..." (you get the idea).
Am I alone in this?
"I'm happy and sad for you" - Real Genius
You're sad that a screwed up superpower and its politics conspired to waste decades to explore space because they couldn't collectively get its act together to marshal a follow on to Shuttle that could build a national security "soft power" response as a country.
You should be glad that there's a commercial means to do so that has eventually gotten into a position that it can be done as a service. Granted, only billionaires can afford it, but still, its a service.
Who knows, perhaps both will learn something from each other, and perhaps there might be sustainable engineering reasons for the costs to come down, and for economic return to be bootstrapped, such that both might do better.
I think that public/private is a great way to go.
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#70
by
Lars-J
on 27 Feb, 2017 21:02
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This makes me nervous the same way a crewed EM-1 mission does. On the other hand, Falcon Heavy and Dragon should have a few flights under their belts by then, which retires the risk substantially. Other than the Falcon Heavy demo mission, though, do we have any idea how many FH launches we'll see by next year? Seems high risk--if stuff goes south, SpaceX could have a PR disaster on their hands that could jeopardize their long-term goals.
If SpaceX is serious about this, I would expect an unmanned lunar flight first.
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#71
by
pb2000
on 27 Feb, 2017 21:02
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No mention of a crew, only 2 passengers?
From SpaceX news post:
"Other flight teams have also expressed strong interest and we expect more to follow. Additional information will be released about the flight teams, contingent upon their approval and confirmation of the health and fitness test results."
Suggests to me that the other seats are for sale, but the existing two are willing to pay for the whole show themselves if nobody else steps up.
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#72
by
MATTBLAK
on 27 Feb, 2017 21:02
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Can we do a back of the envelope calculation of the price? My gu is about $500 million...
The Russians were offering a similar mission for $150 million for each spaceflight participant. So I am guessing something closer to that amount.
Yes - and they've been talking about this for donkey's years and done zilch about it!! Sadly, a bit typical! Putin could have ordered a demo flight years ago of a lunar Soyuz, but didn't.
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#73
by
yg1968
on 27 Feb, 2017 21:03
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I'm somehow glum about this announcement. I mean, it's great that this move is happening - that the technology and processes will be developed to further humanity into space. But at the same time - to have that first great leap in 50 year go to ... tourists!?. This hurts and makes me a bit angry. People with extreme amounts of money are yet again able to buy their way though life. I would have been happier if the announcement read: "Wealthy private individuals donate significant money to SpaceX to train and launch two engineering citizen scientists on a free return orbit of the moon. The two future private astronauts will be chosen based on merit, education, and their ability to stimulate and captivate the future generation of space explorer..." (you get the idea).
Am I alone in this?
That's what NASA astronauts are for. They each have their merit.
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#74
by
Rocket Science
on 27 Feb, 2017 21:03
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Well done Elon... Show them how a space agency needs to be run...
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#75
by
Eric Hedman
on 27 Feb, 2017 21:03
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#76
by
as58
on 27 Feb, 2017 21:04
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I'm somehow glum about this announcement. I mean, it's great that this move is happening - that the technology and processes will be developed to further humanity into space. But at the same time - to have that first great leap in 50 year go to ... tourists!?. This hurts and makes me a bit angry. People with extreme amounts of money are yet again able to buy their way though life. I would have been happier if the announcement read: "Wealthy private individuals donate significant money to SpaceX to train and launch two engineering citizen scientists on a free return orbit of the moon. The two future private astronauts will be chosen based on merit, education, and their ability to stimulate and captivate the future generation of space explorer..." (you get the idea).
Am I alone in this?
meh... only two tourists, I'm sure there will be one or two Space X crew / astronauts on board as well. I doubt they are going to go fully automated.
Quotes from the media call like
https://twitter.com/SciGuySpace/status/836327385016434690 seem to be quite clear that this is not the case.
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#77
by
nacnud
on 27 Feb, 2017 21:04
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Totally open for discussion, but posting "wow" is not worth people's finger scrolling. So make a point. 
Guilty as charge, I just woke up and read this, hadn't kicked my thinking brain into gear. So...
Wow
But moving on this is what commercial spaceflight should be, riding on government coattails will only get you so far. Now where are all the nerdy details to geek over?
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#78
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 27 Feb, 2017 21:04
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I'm somehow glum about this announcement. I mean, it's great that this move is happening - that the technology and processes will be developed to further humanity into space. But at the same time - to have that first great leap in 50 year go to ... tourists!?. This hurts and makes me a bit angry. People with extreme amounts of money are yet again able to buy their way though life. I would have been happier if the announcement read: "Wealthy private individuals donate significant money to SpaceX to train and launch two engineering citizen scientists on a free return orbit of the moon. The two future private astronauts will be chosen based on merit, education, and their ability to stimulate and captivate the future generation of space explorer..." (you get the idea).
Am I alone in this?
Would you rather have these wealthy individuals spend their money on overpriced wines, cars, and yachts? They are investing it in SpaceX instead, a company that will bring us to Mars one day!
Do you begrudge wealthy people their Tesla Roadsters and Model Ss that enable development of the Model 3? Wealthy people tend to be the ones that open up all sorts of new markets (eg mobile phones in the 1980s). We know where government space programmes get us; time to open things up I say.
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#79
by
Jakusb
on 27 Feb, 2017 21:04
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Regarding the "Tourist" discussion: I expect them more to be very big supporters that not only invest heavily because they support the cause, but in return also get something personal in return...
I personally have Tesla stock, not for the potential to earn big, but simply to support the Tesla Dream! Unfortunately not enough to get something like this in return.
