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[Smiles and Cries]

Just wanted to update this news that NASA was forced to halt SpaceX from working on their lander due to Protests from Blue Origin and one of those other nothing to show companies



This means project delays until NASA caves and allows the others to submit something worth a damn or they step away from SpaceX. Or allowed to continue after GAO review of the protests.

 

[BouncyFrag]

 

[Sejan]

Just wanted to update this news that NASA was forced to halt SpaceX from working on their lander due to Protests from Blue Origin and one of those other nothing to show companies



This means project delays until NASA caves and allows the others to submit something worth a damn or they step away from SpaceX. Or allowed to continue after GAO review of the protests.

That may be, but at this point any work they do on their starship program is progress toward their lunar mission as well. I doubt this will set them back much, if at all.

 

[Smiles and Cries]

That may be, but at this point any work they do on their starship program is progress toward their lunar mission as well. I doubt this will set them back much, if at all.

That is true enough becaise SpaceX does not work like the other guys. Other companies would really halt work I doubt SpaceX will do that. Still the Starship being tested is not the lander, the design is different enough that lunar lander is going to need its own testing phase at some point. They are similar platforms for sure and I doubt SpaceX will just halt work because at the end of the day they will own the lander not sell it to NASA. NASA is paying for development and buying a ride they won't own the ship.

I still think if the Starship being tested and the Lunar Lander are different enough SpaceX might just focus on the Earth / Mars mission parts of Starship and hold work on the Lunar mission parts. The reason I say this is because the Lunar Lander is not just a simple rebranding of Starship, the Lunar lander is only designed to land on the moon, it can't return to land on Earth from the reports that have been put out. Sounds stupid but that is why SLS is there, NASA only awarded the landing part. I am pretty sure if SpaceX wanted they could create a lunar lander that could return to earth and land. This why the project is different from Starship it is being limited to do one task.

NASA calling for a halt would work on those other companies because they don't do any work without outside funding, no money, no honey. That is why they have nothing but renders and art to show.

The halt is political, and there is a chance to force NASA to make a different choice or waste money on a second provider.

 

[Robot Carnival]

we would need to have a electronic/robotic facility on the moon for all the future building right? might I suggest the name Anaheim? why? oh... no particular reason...

Anaheim Electronics

Anaheim Electronics is a major civilian manufacturing company. Based on the Moon, Anaheim has been the de facto corporation for numerous militaristic factions to have their Mobile Suit designs to life. Prior to the One Year War, Anaheim produced numerous goods for both the Earth Sphere and the...

gundam.fandom.com

 

[Sejan]

That is true enough becaise SpaceX does not work like the other guys. Other companies would really halt work I doubt SpaceX will do that. Still the Starship being tested is not the lander, the design is different enough that lunar lander is going to need its own testing phase at some point. They are similar platforms for sure and I doubt SpaceX will just halt work because at the end of the day they will own the lander not sell it to NASA. NASA is paying for development and buying a ride they won't own the ship.

I still think if the Starship being tested and the Lunar Lander are different enough SpaceX might just focus on the Earth / Mars mission parts of Starship and hold work on the Lunar mission parts. The reason I say this is because the Lunar Lander is not just a simple rebranding of Starship, the Lunar lander is only designed to land on the moon, it can't return to land on Earth from the reports that have been put out. Sounds stupid but that is why SLS is there, NASA only awarded the landing part. I am pretty sure if SpaceX wanted they could create a lunar lander that could return to earth and land. This why the project is different from Starship it is being limited to do one task.

NASA calling for a halt would work on those other companies because they don't do any work without outside funding, no money, no honey. That is why they have nothing but renders and art to show.

The halt is political, and there is a chance to force NASA to make a different choice or waste money on a second provider.

Yes, the lunar starship is a different vehicle, but everything that needs testing right now is already in testing short of the propulsive landing thrusters which would likely be the same ones they would use on a Martian lander. The main engines will be the same vacuum engines they are already working on.

There will certainly be some lunar specific RnD, but the main goal right now is getting the main starship project up and running.

 

[Reality Czar]

Just wanted to update this news that NASA was forced to halt SpaceX from working on their lander due to Protests from Blue Origin and one of those other nothing to show companies

This sucks, Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin has had decades to do something, they slept on it while SpaceX made it work. Now they are trying to hold science back out of jealousy.

Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos has been interested in space from an early age. A profile published in 2013 described a 1982 Miami Herald interview Bezos gave after he was named valedictorian of his high school class. The 18-year-old Bezos said he wanted "to build space hotels, amusement parks and colonies for 2 million or 3 million people who would be in orbit. 'The whole idea is to preserve the earth' he told the newspaper ... The goal was to be able to evacuate humans. The planet would become a park."

Blue Origin - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Bezos just sounds like a crazy megalomaniac tbh. This space thing is just a childhood whimsy for a rich man with too much money. This is why his group has nothing really to show.

This is probably where these people backing politicians comes in handy, Bezos owns most of the US congress, so it doesn't matter if he failed, he can stop others from succeeding.

 

[Smiles and Cries]

Yes, the lunar starship is a different vehicle, but everything that needs testing right now is already in testing short of the propulsive landing thrusters which would likely be the same ones they would use on a Martian lander. The main engines will be the same vacuum engines they are already working on.

There will certainly be some lunar specific RnD, but the main goal right now is getting the main starship project up and running.

agreed

the FAA just gave them a 3 test flight pass as long as they can land SN15 and SN16 without a boom flying all 3 should be easy sailing and would make all of the bullshit protest look even more stupid.

 

[Smiles and Cries]

This sucks, Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin has had decades to do something, they slept on it while SpaceX made it work. Now they are trying to hold science back out of jealousy.


Bezos just sounds like a crazy megalomaniac tbh. This space thing is just a childhood whimsy for a rich man with too much money. This is why his group has nothing really to show.

This is probably where these people backing politicians comes in handy, Bezos owns most of the US congress, so it doesn't matter if he failed, he can stop others from succeeding.

this only makes me sad because I was hoping he really had different ideas and goals from Musk and could offer a good Space Race that would benefit both sides but he has been acting like a spoiled brat to get his company funded and he loves the old ways of doing things.

I was hoping Bezos had a vision because he does not need money, but he acts like he is only in it for the money and his name up in lights.

 

[Ozzy Onya A2Z]

This is probably where these people backing politicians comes in handy, Bezos owns most of the US congress, so it doesn't matter if he failed, he can stop others from succeeding.

Truth, and it hurts. Sadly the asshat Bezos would consider that success from his perspective. He's the kid who kicks the soccer ball over the fence at lunch time and walks off on his own.

 

[Sejan]

this only makes me sad because I was hoping he really had different ideas and goals from Musk and could offer a good Space Race that would benefit both sides but he has been acting like a spoiled brat to get his company funded and he loves the old ways of doing things.

I was hoping Bezos had a vision because he does not need money, but he acts like he is only in it for the money and his name up in lights.

Blue Origin’s hydrogen engines are technically superior than SpaceX’s Methane engines for Lunar missions. Methane was chosen by SpaceX as it can be synthesized on
Mars. Hydrogen, on the other hand, would be easier to come by on the moon.

That really is the key difference between SpaceX and everyone else. Their eyes are fixed firmly on Mars. Everything else is a stepping stone on the way there.

 

[Vestal]

Serious question re going to the moon

Its the first step(AGAIN) towards whats next, which is Mars.

 

[AJUMP23]

Looks like what I built for the moon in Kerbel.

 

[Smiles and Cries]

Blue Origin’s hydrogen engines are technically superior than SpaceX’s Methane engines for Lunar missions. Methane was chosen by SpaceX as it can be synthesized on
Mars. Hydrogen, on the other hand, would be easier to come by on the moon.

That really is the key difference between SpaceX and everyone else. Their eyes are fixed firmly on Mars. Everything else is a stepping stone on the way there.

True, I would point out that it is not out of reach for SpaceX to use a new engine using Hyrogen for moon missions. I think the focus on Mars was the only key reason for not going one direction or another.

Still even with a superior engine Blue Origin has hardly reached orbit so that is concerning. I don't know if it is smarter to be so secretive and looking like nothing is getting done or be as open as SpaceX which seems to be copied by Russia recently.

 

[RoboFu]

When the right person gets super rich.

 

[Hawking Radiation]

In our lifetimes we will see man land on the Moon (again) AND Mars

GET. THE. FUCK. IN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Hawking Radiation]

To get Sam Rockwell back.

 

[ManaByte]

God damnit.

NASA suspends SpaceX’s $2.9 billion moon lander contract after rivals protest

Two protests put SpaceX’s moon lander funding on hold

www.theverge.com

 

[LokusAbriss]

How do they decide what to study, research while actually on the moon? Is there a list of different fields of study, all in order of importance that they agree on while the rocket ship building takes place?

It’ll be exciting if this leads to more understanding on how the moon affects life here on Earth. Didn’t realize until yesterday that the moon actually influences some animals, and life under the sea as well

I was also reading yesterday that the moon was created (we think) by a rock the size of Mars crashing into Earth shortly after the solar system was formed, over 4.5 billion years ago

Also, Elon is the man. Hopefully Square Enix hires him to be a part of Final Fantasy XVI

The future of the moon is more about mining.


Helium 3 especially, might be a great powersource.
https://www.bbvaopenmind.com/en/science/physics/helium-3-lunar-gold-fever/

With Space X bringing the cost of space transport to an acceptable level, this will get very interesting in the next decade.

 

[AJUMP23]

What cool minerals are we going to find on the moon? Will there be cool Moon Diamonds?

 

[TheMan]

So what’s to stop SpaceX from saying fuck it and just going to the Moon?

get some investors, hire key nasa folks as consultants, train their own damn astronauts. Maybe just too expensive

 

[Ballthyrm]

When the right person gets super rich.

It means that the system is somewhat working

 

[RaptorGTA]

So what’s to stop SpaceX from saying fuck it and just going to the Moon?

get some investors, hire key nasa folks as consultants, train their own damn astronauts. Maybe just too expensive

At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if Elon does this. Not to one-up NASA but to push space progress forward. Plus if NASA is interested he will have a ship more likely ready to launch by 2024 than any competitor.

 

[Smiles and Cries]

So what’s to stop SpaceX from saying fuck it and just going to the Moon?

get some investors, hire key nasa folks as consultants, train their own damn astronauts. Maybe just too expensive

Good chance but having NASA as a supporter is kinda street cred in the Space community.

SpaceX is carving their name as the new leader in space travel, right now what happens next depends on the next 3 Starship test flights

SN15 sometime this week, SN16, and SN17 all have FAA green lights to fly with the condition one of them does not crash like the others.
All the successful trips with Falcon can't help their image right now. All eyes are on Starship 3 successful flights and landings in a row could bring this contract back in play faster.