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    NASA chief suggests SpaceX may be booted from moon mission

    (www.cnn.com)
    404 points voxleone | 19 comments | 21 Oct 25 12:58 UTC | HN request time: 0.001s | source | bottom
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    allenrb ◴[21 Oct 25 20:38 UTC] No.45661384[source]▶
    There is just so much wrong with this from start to finish. Here are a few things, by no means inclusive:

    1. We’ve already beaten China to the moon by 56 years, 3 months, and some change. And counting.

    2. Nothing based around SLS is remotely serious. The cost and timeline of doing anything with it are unreasonable. It is an absolute dead-end. The SpaceX Super Heavy has been more capable arguably as early as the second flight test and certainly now. They could have built a “dumb” second stage at any time, but aren’t that short-sighted.

    3. Blue Origin? I’ve had high hopes for the guys for two decades now. Don’t hold your breath.

    4. Anyone else? Really, really don’t hold your breath.

    This whole “race to the moon, part II” is almost criminally stupid. Land on the moon when we can accomplish something there, not just to prove we haven’t lost our mojo since Apollo.

    replies(37): >>45661569 #>>45661650 #>>45661812 #>>45661864 #>>45662019 #>>45662078 #>>45662268 #>>45662530 #>>45662636 #>>45662805 #>>45662869 #>>45663083 #>>45663232 #>>45663254 #>>45664108 #>>45664333 #>>45664434 #>>45664870 #>>45665102 #>>45665180 #>>45665389 #>>45665607 #>>45665948 #>>45666137 #>>45666225 #>>45666739 #>>45667016 #>>45667353 #>>45667484 #>>45667622 #>>45668139 #>>45668273 #>>45671330 #>>45671920 #>>45674500 #>>45674624 #>>45680644 #
    Waterluvian ◴[21 Oct 25 21:41 UTC] No.45662078[source]▶
    Re: 1. I think the America of Theseus mindset is a bit troubling. A lot of people like to identify with achievements that they played no role in. Based on zero expertise whatsoever, I have a sense that this is a bit self defeating. To be born a winner, to be taught you’re a winner… how can that be healthy?

    Today’s America scores zero points for its accomplishments of the past. But I think one way it can be a good thing is the, “we’ve done it before, we can do it again” attitude. Which is somewhat opposite to “we already won!”

    replies(11): >>45662345 #>>45662614 #>>45662879 #>>45663082 #>>45663420 #>>45663980 #>>45665687 #>>45666641 #>>45667851 #>>45668570 #>>45670573 #
    1. itsnowandnever ◴[21 Oct 25 22:07 UTC] No.45662345[source]▶
    100% - given the resources we have, America is far underperforming at the moment
    replies(2): >>45662430 #>>45662457 #
    2. gpt5 ◴[21 Oct 25 22:20 UTC] No.45662457[source]▶
    I really don't get this sentiment. 80% of orbital launches last year were Americans. The USA hasn't been this dominant in the space race since the 60s.
    replies(2): >>45662481 #>>45663871 #
    3. timschmidt ◴[21 Oct 25 22:23 UTC] No.45662481[source]▶
    99% of those were SpaceX
    replies(1): >>45662539 #
    4. gpt5 ◴[21 Oct 25 22:28 UTC] No.45662539{3}[source]▶
    Exactly. The US private space industry is thriving and profitable. That's exactly what makes it so efficient and dominant.
    replies(4): >>45662665 #>>45662818 #>>45662889 #>>45668655 #
    5. Waterluvian ◴[21 Oct 25 22:42 UTC] No.45662665{4}[source]▶
    Capitalism is incredibly efficient this way and it really should be appreciated as being such an advantage. I wonder if it’s not a free advantage though. I suspect there’s a risk that it might diminish the ability to accomplish projects that aren’t compatible with capitalism. Ie. ROI isn’t sufficiently short term, ROI is socialized, no ROI at all, excessive risk.

    An open question as I really don’t have an answer either way: what’s the last mega project the U.S. succeeded in completing that wasn’t directly tied to a short term business plan? Something for future generations or a major environmental project or a transportation or infrastructure project, etc.

    replies(1): >>45663115 #
    6. harimau777 ◴[21 Oct 25 22:59 UTC] No.45662818{4}[source]▶
    The private space industry doesn't belong to the US, it belongs to the billionaires.

    We might even be better to have no one advancing space travel than to have only the billionaires doing it. At least then they can't find some way to use it to screw us over.

    replies(1): >>45664277 #
    7. monooso ◴[21 Oct 25 23:05 UTC] No.45662889{4}[source]▶
    Genuine question, is it profitable because of government contracts?
    replies(3): >>45662987 #>>45663394 #>>45663410 #
    8. iknowstuff ◴[21 Oct 25 23:15 UTC] No.45662987{5}[source]▶
    nah Starlink is the money printer
    9. QuadmasterXLII ◴[21 Oct 25 23:33 UTC] No.45663115{5}[source]▶
    I mean, falcon 9 reusability is a decent example, if 13 years from work starts to reusability is proven commercially viable counts as a long term business plan.
    10. ls612 ◴[22 Oct 25 00:06 UTC] No.45663394{5}[source]▶
    SpaceX exists because of commercial resupply but that was still a good deal for the government since it was cheaper than the shuttles or buying extra Soyuz cargo launches.
    11. rowanG077 ◴[22 Oct 25 00:08 UTC] No.45663410{5}[source]▶
    I don't know. I also don't know why that is relevant. Just because a business is selling a good or service to the government doesn't mean it's not competitive, dominant, efficient or really anything.
    12. zm262 ◴[22 Oct 25 01:16 UTC] No.45663871[source]▶
    US dominates with SpaceX internet project. For moon landing it's far behind at this point.
    replies(2): >>45664065 #>>45664135 #
    13. briandw ◴[22 Oct 25 01:48 UTC] No.45664065{3}[source]▶
    Far behind who? China still doesn’t have a Falcon 9 competitor, let alone Starship.
    replies(1): >>45668082 #
    14. ◴[22 Oct 25 02:00 UTC] No.45664135{3}[source]▶
    15. parineum ◴[22 Oct 25 02:28 UTC] No.45664277{5}[source]▶
    SpaceX isn't a billionaire.
    replies(2): >>45665014 #>>45672325 #
    16. mysecretaccount ◴[22 Oct 25 04:54 UTC] No.45665014{6}[source]▶
    Clearly the poster is saying that SpaceX is "the billionaires".

    SpaceX is majority owned by billionaires.

    17. m4rtink ◴[22 Oct 25 12:33 UTC] No.45668082{4}[source]▶
    Thez certainly have some Falcon 9 clones in full scale testing - would not he surprised if they have it working in a year or two, there is just too much money on the table.
    18. ◴[22 Oct 25 13:17 UTC] No.45668655{4}[source]▶
    19. harimau777 ◴[22 Oct 25 17:25 UTC] No.45672325{6}[source]▶
    It's not a billionaire but it is owned by a billionaire.