

SpaceX's Dragon in the Pacific Ocean  (Source:










Source: SpaceX

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By kattanna on 10/29/2012 11:02:13 AM , Rating: 5
congrats on a job well done!

RE: congrats!
By superPC on 10/29/2012 11:58:27 AM , Rating: 2
congratulation is in order. so far SpaceX is three for three in launching dragon. it hasn't failed putting a dragon into orbit and back. I really hope they kept on succeeding.

i still don’t get it. how come boeing, lockheed, ESA, and others charges so much for launching a something to orbit? how come none of them posted their price online like SpaceX do?

RE: congrats!
By Samus on 10/29/2012 12:30:24 PM , Rating: 3
Because until SpaceX, you had no competition, causing incredibly high prices and huge profit margins on a niche market.

Why would Boeing or Lockheed (or the Russians) cut someone a deal when they know you don't have any other choice but to fly with them?

This is why SpaceX is an important next step to space travel. NASA pioneered it. SpaceX will make it viable.

RE: congrats!
By drycrust3 on 10/29/12, Rating: 0
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RE: congrats!

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By Schadenfroh on 10/29/2012 6:10:29 PM , Rating: 1
huge profit margins

Last I checked, traditional defense contracts typically have a profit margin capped at < 10%, I would not call that huge...

RE: congrats!
By Bubbacub on 10/29/2012 12:32:31 PM , Rating: 3
because they are all primarily interested in fleecing their respective tax payers as much as possible.

cost plus contracts encourage profligate waste. a bit of lobbying/bribery to get more spending sent your way is a lot cheaper and easier than becoming vaguely efficient.

the reason why spacex is different is because elon musk actually WANTS to achieve his goal.

the fucktards in the senate and the quislings in nasa who asked for and are happily building the SLS have so little interest in the final goal that they didn't even bother making one up - they want to fleece government funds, channel out their ill gotten gains to their buddies and make sure nobody else tries to eat at the same trough.

RE: congrats!
By FormulaRedline on 10/29/2012 1:42:16 PM , Rating: 2
As a former major defense/space contractor employee (I'll decline to say which one), I'll give my insight that the other posters are directionally correct if not elegant in their wording. The cost plus pricing does not set the right incentives for the contractor to be efficient in their processes, leading to excess waste and therefore high prices. This wouldn't be a problem except that the multiple source strategy of the US government (NASA included) ensures that the major contractors aren't penalized on future business for their inefficiencies.

Example: Did Lockheed just completely blow the budget on the F/A-22? Well Boeing is still selling us all the F-15s and F/A-18s, so we better make sure Lockheed still has business and award them the F-35 and watch them blow the budget and schedule on that, too.

If one company was 10x more efficient than the others, they'd still only get their predetermined share of the business.

Though I loved the products we made, I had had enough of this and moved to a different industry with real market forces. I am very happy to see private companies making inroads into the space industry, even if the defense industry remains entrenched with the incumbents.

RE: congrats!
By kattanna on 10/29/2012 3:47:44 PM , Rating: 3

one very big reason is that everything, for the most part, on spacex side is all made within one plant in california.

other craft can have a bolt made on the west coast.. that needs a nut made on the east coast.. that all have to be shipped to somewhere else to be assembled..shipped somewhere else to be inspected.. then shipped again to another location for final assembly. the reason for it is to ensure spending in states so a member of congress will vote for it. so then those members of congress can tell their constituents what a great person they are because they have brought jobs to their district.

RE: congrats!

RE: congrats!
By Paj on 10/31/2012 10:12:19 AM , Rating: 2
Yep, very cool stuff. Good to see private enterprise taking to space - big things afoot.

Next step - private industry to develop a reusable spaceplane.
UK looks to be leading the pack with Skylon.

