SpaceX Dragon 2 Launches... US regains independent manned launch capability!

[Voidwielder]

To be blunt, I think Starship will be massively delayed and due to it's capacity

What do you mean? The whole stainless steel hull/''sweating gas'' design they've decided to go with? And even if Starship is at best 75% of the supposed capabilities, isn't it very good for what NASA wants to do - haul large amounts of cargo, people to and from Moon, maybe even Mars some time in the 2030's?

ULA is probably toast.

Don't you think that all those big guns who have been involved in that conglomerate will come out in force to protect all those projects? After all, that's an awful lot of engineers and scientists that will be, at the very least, redirected from a relatively fresh progam. Then there's the issue of industrial base and know-how - once you loose it, it's hard, near impossible to get back on track if there is in fact a competition.

And who knows how SpaceX will work out. Tesla will most likely go under this year and Musk is seemingly ready to sacrifice the entirety of SpaceX just to get funding for Starlink/Starship as quickly as possible.

There's nothing more scary than Jeff Bezos having a monopoly on large vehicles. By the way, why there is such lack of news about New Glenn and everything else that they've got planned? They keep releasing new CGI every year but we've seen fuck all.

[PACOX]

Good night launch that was unfortunately obscured by clouds. Got to see the stage separation, always cool at night because it looks like two rockets racing for a second.

Cant wait for the Starliner to go up.

[Ripster42]

There's nothing more scary than Jeff Bezos having a monopoly on large vehicles. By the way, why there is such lack of news about New Glenn and everything else that they've got planned? They keep releasing new CGI every year but we've seen fuck all.

https://www.space.com/39530-blue-ori...gine-test.html

[Voidwielder]

https://www.space.com/39530-blue-ori...gine-test.html

Yeah, more than a year ago.

[MildCore]

Why? There probably isn't much there that our own Solar system doesn't have more accessible.

It's not a question of what it has more of, but a question of what it has less of.

[Ripster42]

Yeah, more than a year ago.

Sorry, I didn't read the story closely, and that's still more than "fuck all." There's still news (and recent) about "everything else that they've got planned" regularly going out. As for the new glenn, it's not scheduled to debut until 2021, so I'm not sure what more you want than animations and engine tests, as it's not built yet.

[Dartz1979]

Good job NASA.

I forget, did Trump give NASA more money or less money?

I do believe he funded them alot cause he wants a Space Defense force agency... it does make sense if we are gonna have humans on mars.

[Acidbaron]

I wonder how long it will take before we get commercial flights, i believe Musk has a concept idea in place he's working on to replace airplanes with rockets making travel around the globe insanely fast compared to now.

In any case more technological advancements is about the only thing that actually does trickle down back into our day to day lives.

[Masark]

They will use proxies to gain control of it!

Proxy schmoxy. SpaceX is controlled, lock, stock, and barrel, by Elon R. Musk. He holds 78% of the voting stock.

[Realitytrembles]

Excellent. Very happy about this.
@Skroe

I share your previously stated dream of American domination of space. I just hope that I get to watch the US flag planted on Mars one day before I'm dead. Dad watched the moon landing when he was 18. I look forward to the "state of New Ares" joining the union.

[Voidwielder]

Docking soon.

[Puupi]

Proxy schmoxy. SpaceX is controlled, lock, stock, and barrel, by Elon R. Musk. He holds 78% of the voting stock.

Well then it is even easier to take control of it. Just take control of Elon Musk.

[Nerraw]

Hard capture to the space station was confirmed an hour ago. Hatch opening is scheduled to occur 90 minutes from now.

- - - Updated - - -

Hatch opening has been moved up to about 20 minutes from now. Station crew finished their lunch early!

- - - Updated - - -

[Voidwielder]

Well that was amazing.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1104015492094808066

[Beazy]

Well that was amazing.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1104015492094808066

Hell yeah son, mission accomplished. SpaceX is king.

Everything worked. Step one to Mars complete.

[Ubermensch]

Incredible progress, a good step in the right direction for humanity.

[Voidwielder]

Another video.
https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/...14748826460161

[caervek]

The United States had no realistic options in 2011 other than buy Russian Soyuz, which as the chart in the OP showed, Russia quickly gouged us on (classy).

Actually it did, there was also the option to assist the Russians in re-activating the Buran Space Shuttle program and this was actually discussed at length by US/Russian scientists however it ended up coming to nothing. Which is a shame really as more US/Russian cooperation is always good for the planet, and it would have allowed the US to get back in the game much quicker than waiting for SpaceX to get up to speed.

[PACOX]

Incredible progress, a good step in the right direction for humanity.

I mean it's an accomplishment but not really. I think it says more about spaceflight (human LEO) finally reaching an era where officially routine.

Getting human to LEO is proven tech. Reusable technology is proven. Capsules, automation, docking, all proven. The dragon used a dock meant for the orbiters, machines that were a lot heavier and complex.

What wasn't proven was a streamlined process in which NASA doesn't feel the need to play overseer. Daddy can let the kids drive to the corner store on their own.

It means NASA can gtfo of micromanaging LEO. The next LEO station dedicated to science should place a lot more emphasis on being built by third parties who were issued grants/contracts through NASA.

The next major Station should be an R&D platform for orbital fabrication/deep space missions somewhere much further out.

[Ubermensch]

I mean it's an accomplishment but not really. I think it says more about spaceflight (human LEO) finally reaching an era where officially routine.

Getting human to LEO is proven tech. Reusable technology is proven. Capsules, automation, docking, all proven. The dragon used a dock meant for the orbiters, machines that were a lot heavier and complex.

What wasn't proven was a streamlined process in which NASA doesn't feel the need to play overseer. Daddy can let the kids drive to the corner store on their own.

It means NASA can gtfo of micromanaging LEO. The next LEO station dedicated to science should place a lot more emphasis on being built by third parties who were issued grants/contracts through NASA.

The next major Station should be an R&D platform for orbital fabrication/deep space missions somewhere much further out.

I don't care about countries or nations, I only care about the human race and its progress, which is going well so far here.