Soyuz later! SpaceX gets NASA green light to lob astronauts to the International Space Station full time

NASA on Tuesday officially certified SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule as vehicles capable of flying astronauts to and from the International Space Station, making it the first ever commercial spacecraft system to be approved by the American agency. That means that SpaceX’s gear has passed the pilot stage, and …

[Anonymous Coward]

Hyperbole

I get it that the septic administration will want to spin their failure at developing viable space transport into some kind of victory, never mind that this was done by a private company (and the underdog no less, the "favoured" contender still being stuck firmly on the ground), but do the media (Reg included) need to serve as a loudspeaker for their idiotic nationalist propaganda? I don't think that's necessary.

Rather, the *real* achievement here is that now there is a Plan B to get to the ISS and back, in case Soyuz had to be grounded for some reason.

Other achievements are the significant cost reductions, taxpayer savings, and this serving to further SpaceX's ambitious (that's an understatement) mission.

[Jim Mitchell]

Re: Hyperbole

"Rather, the *real* achievement here is that now there is a Plan B to get to the ISS and back, in case Soyuz had to be grounded for some reason."

To my understanding, NASA plans on commercial crew being the Plan A, with Soyuz being the Plan B. Can you explain why you think the opposite?

[Gary Stewart]

Re: Hyperbole

Actually I believe the Boeing Starliner will be plan B within a year or so assuming they can properly fix their software problems, and Soyuz will be relegated to emergency only plan C. I know Boeing seems like a bit of a stretch at this time but I am sure that they will eventually get it right with the proper incentives (place your favorite way to "fix" management here).

[Anonymous Coward]

The perils of extrapolation

> To my understanding, NASA plans on commercial crew being the Plan A, with Soyuz being the Plan B. Can you explain why you think the opposite?

Why do you think I made any determination as to which one is to be the preferred ride or from whose point of view?

What is important to emphasise is that until now there was only one way to get there and, more importantly, back. Now there are two fully independent solutions.

[Joe W]

Re: Hyperbole

Sure, it sounds very much like the 60s cold war nationalism fueled space race. However, as a non-USA-ian[0] I think they do have a reason for being proud of their local company. That they do the "USA! USA!" thing is to be expected, and very much what everybody is used to and should not get upset about. It still is a great achievement, and by the "underdog" no less (not the big conglomerate of companies favoured by the gub'mint) - surely that makes it even more awesome?

You are right about distracting from the mess that SLS is (and I don't really like that anyway, it is more 60s/70s and seems like a dead-end - from the outside).

[0] USAer? Central-North-American? Nah, you cannot have just "American", that'd be like France claiming the term European for themselves, sorry[1], the Franks stopped ruling Europe some while ago.

[1] ok, Ally McBeal would be upset, 'cause I'm in fact not sorry, so I shouldn't say it. "we always say we're sorry - we try to be polite - ..."

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Hyperbole

re: your note [0]. Name another country on either the North or South American continents that have the word America in their officail names?

[Anonymous Custard]

Re: Hyperbole

I must admit when I read the quote:

“This certification milestone is an incredible achievement from NASA and SpaceX that highlights the progress we can make working together with commercial industry.”

...my first thought was what exactly have NASA achieved here?

It's certainly a great achievement for SpaceX, but all NASA has achieved is to sign it off and prove the need for a private company to basically sub-contract to get the job of lobbing people into space done.

I'm genuinely curious as to what NASA brought to the party here, aside from taxpayer dollars?

[John Brown (no body)]

Re: Hyperbole

NASA did make their existing expertise available to the various commercial companies. SpaceX and the like are not working in total isolation. But yes, it's mainly SpaceX with some help and resources from NASA.

[Gene Cash]

Re: Hyperbole

> I'm genuinely curious as to what NASA brought to the party here, aside from taxpayer dollars?

NASA brought 50 years of experience to the table. For example, the PICA-X ablator in the Dragon heat shield is a NASA invention. Experience with life support was important. Experience with degradation of solar panels in space was important. I could keep going.

This forum should know the value of experience in a subject area.

[Pascal Monett]

Re: what NASA brought to the party here

I'm sure NASA's engineers brought their experience of space requirements and dangers, which is not something Musk's engineers would necessarily have.

But yeah, the billions were obviously a great support.

[Francis Boyle]

Re: Hyperbole

The more relevant response is that there isn't actually a continent called "America"

[You aint sin me, roit]

Re: Hyperbole

There is a degree of in-your-face ruskies about this, but it is a considerable achievement for a private company who was told by those Russians that a trampoline would provide a better launch system.

For some people the *real* achievement will be the massive blow to Russian space ambitions. They were already strapped for cash and now their ISS conveyor belt cash cow has gone.

That's a setback that some Americans will relish.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: the massive blow to Russian space

I am no fan of the Russian state, but nevertheless the Russians have a significant track record of successful space operations. IMO any significant blow to the Russian space program is a shame for the Russians as a country, and arguably for the world as a whole, and need not imply any sympathy for the current Russian goverenment or its leadership.

Not that I expect anyone, American or not, to pointlessly subsidise the Russian space program; just that I think any sort of triumphalism over its problems - at least of the non-military components - isn't really appropriate.

[Gene Cash]

Re: the massive blow to Russian space

Don't forget this is the same Russia that jacked Musk around when he came to buy rockets to land seeds on Mars way-back-when. They kept raising the price then they finally laughed at him and told him to fuck off and stop bothering us, kiddo.

Schadenfreude. It's a thing.

[Dom 3]

Re: Hyperbole

So - back to flogging the third seat to billionaires.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Hyperbole

> I think they do have a reason for being proud of their local company.

I do agree, being quite the SpaceX fan myself, but the article was written by a British journalist. Surely we can report from our own point of view without the need to buy into their propaganda?

[Pascal Monett]

Re: that'd be like France claiming the term European for themselves

Um, just to clarify here : we French know very well that we do not rule Europe, and we have no desire to at this point in time.

We've already got our hands full ruling ourselves, thank you very much.

[cookieMonster]

Re: that'd be like France claiming the term European for themselves

Upvoted,

have a nice glass of Chateau Salauze, 2018 (Minervois)

[JCitizen]

Re: Hyperbole

Go Space X! - Go Elon! - Yay! Ra! Ra! RA! Yo Ho Ho and a bottle of rum for capitalist private enterprise! Boo on the naysayers! YEAH!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Yee HAW!!! <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

[Pete 2]

Thanks never ending.

> “Thank you to NASA for their continued support of SpaceX and partnership in achieving this goal,” SpaceX supremo Elon Musk said

But thank you most of all for all that luverly money you have given us. Said Elon Musk, the world's third richest being.

[Jimmy2Cows]

Re: world's third richest being

Third richest? Musk doesn't even make the top ten. Way down at number 30:

Forbes 2020 billionaires

So because a rich guy owns a space company, he shouldn't allow that company to accept any NASA money? That's about the dumbest angle ever.

[Pete 2]

Re: world's third richest being

Try to keep up at the back!

Elon Musk's net worth quadruples since January to make him third richest person in the world

September 2020

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: world's third richest being

a) Those rankings are non-scientific and kind of pointless.

b) They usually take the person's real or estimated share in their main businesses and multiply by the share value (or some made-up value for private companies) at some point in time. In the case of the person to whom you refer, Tesla's market capitalisation rise (from memory 700% year on year) is by far the biggest factor, nothing to do with SpaceX which may or may not make money.

c) What is your point anyway? Go and start your own rocket company if you think you've got a point to prove.