Oh slight mistake. Taxpayers did pay 23 billion to develop SLS and its 2 billion per launch costs. But taxpayers are only paying for the ~6 billion starship development cost to the extent that SpaceX wins launch and contract bids by being the cheapest launch provider.

Do you want to pay 3x more for the space launch system development, get a worse rocket that has much higher per launch costs? Because we already did that. Musk is bad but I cannot overstate how much worse the alternative to SpaceX is unless NASA takes it in house, and congress wont allow that.

You completely missed my point, we're back at the 0 nuance part. My point was not 'NASA bad', NASA very good actually, NASA the best even. My point is that SpaceX can be good while musk is bad and those ideas are not in conflict. Where spaceflight is now is a vast improvement over ULA monopoly.

Falcon 9 is close to or the most reliable launch platform available. They haven't lost a payload since 2015 and have had 245 successful missions since then. This idea that SpaceX cant build rockets because they have unsuccessful prototype test flights sometimes is insane.

Why not turn it around. "Oh NASA? The one that works with the US military industrial complex for most of its contracts and design work? The one funded and run by the genocidal and imperialist US government?"

Its embarrassing how many people on the left are so gleeful about having 0 nuance. "This guy sucks, therefore everything he has ever touched has sucks, knowing anything positive about something associated with him is tantamount to worship."

I'm defending the engineers, not management.

Elon musk being horrible does not invalidate all of the amazing engineers at spacex who actually design the rockets. Even if they were 100% NASA funded its a joke if you compare their results vs the space launch system or shuttle program dollar for dollar.

Fuck musk but SpaceX is undeniably the world leading orbit rocket producer and this is how their r&d process works. Falcon 9's landing failure rate was a joke until it wasn't and now affordable reuse has changed rocketry forever.

Every other day, though that might come across as not strictly keeping to that schedule. "Once every two days" feel a bit more formal or unnatural but implies keeping to that schedule more strictly.

On the one hand I want to withhold a vote from Biden for his Israel policy, on the other hand:

I thought cat system corp was cat city corp until like last year because I could't think of any other words that are just 'shi' that made sense

wait, shit. I forgot it doesnt have side mirrors either. what the fuck. I hope it at least has an always on rear camera

I hate to defend the cybertruck but you really dont need to, most actually used cargo vans and all semi trucks with trailers can't and you get used to it quickly.

@3dblast.bsky.social I found the guy, get his ass