[ExI] 60% go for launch

[Giulio Prisco]

I am cheering for SpaceX for this and many other reasons. But I think
SpaceX still needs some public support and funding, and I am worried for
the future.

On 2020. May 27., Wed at 17:46, spike jones via extropy-chat <
extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:

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> > *On Behalf Of *Giulio Prisco via extropy-chat
> *Cc:* Giulio Prisco <giulio at gmail.com>
> *Subject:* Re: [ExI] 60% go for launch
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> >>…If the weather holds, Space-X will make history today: the first
> private company to launch proles into orbit.  Current forecast, 60% chance
> for a go.  Launch scheduled for 16:33 EDT.  Good luck, Elon!
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> >…Kudos to Elon for getting this far. I'll be glued to the screen…  Giulio
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> Giulio, there’s another reason I am really cheering for SpaceX.  In the
> rocket world, we have long known it is expensive as all get out have
> one-use rockets.  If they are solids, you might have the option of dropping
> them into the sea and recovering, then refurbishing, but that isn’t a great
> option, and doesn’t work with liquid stages, which are huge investment in
> each.
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> In the controls world, we realized back in the 80s that a fly-back first
> stage landing on its own feet had become technologically feasible, but NASA
> being the ever-cautious government body, never chose that option.  That
> feet-first landing business was ever so much more dignified than having to
> be fished out of the sea.  From a controls perspective, oh my what a
> marvelous feat it is.  I went most of my adult life hoping someday we would
> see someone somewhere try it.
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> Well, here we go.
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> I have friends who still work out at the cape.  I talked to one yesterday,
> who is my age and lived right there the whole time, in the 60s.  He has
> seen it all, and definitely agrees: seeing two liquid boosters come down
> feet first and land next to each other is the coolest thing he ever saw.
> As a controls engineer, I can never get enough of it.
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> spike
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