• surph_ninja@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    4 hours ago

    Well, us space flight fans have had to deal with tolerating Nazis in the field for 80 years. Sucks bad, but nothing new.

  • Peppycito@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    0·
    11 hours ago

    I was all in on space exploration. I followed the grasshopper. I watched the early landing attempts. I eagerly watched the Boca Chica developments. I watched the first full stack starship lift off…

    And suddenly I had an ache in my gut. I instantly realized this was never about space exploration. This is about being the first guy in a new area of resource extraction. This is Musk pushing to be the first Spaniard in the New World to plunder all the riches before the next guy can get there. The “No planet B” is just a bullshit line to mask the unfettered greed that actually drives Musk.

    By the time we have starship flying as planned, the earth will be a burning husk less habitable than the destination.

    The rocket is reusable to increase profit. It does not “help the environment”. Methane burns “clean”, but only when it burns. When it’s leaked by venting, engine startup and shut down, and RUD’s it probably classifies as “the most potent greenhouse gas” injected into a region of atmosphere that’s never really seen pollution yet.

    Yes, the engineering is incredible. But I can’t help but think of the associated costs.

    • burble@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      0·
      8 hours ago

      My hesitation with the first part of this take (not defending the guy) is that there isn’t really an economic reason to get people to Mars. If the goal was asteroid mining, that might be different.

      They also recondense a lot of Methane instead of just venting or burning it.

      • Peppycito@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        0·
        7 hours ago

        I’m not talking about the launch tower, I’m talking about the rocket. You can watch the live stream and see puffs of vapour regularly. It being a rocket there are very few things that gas could be. Some of it is nitrogen, sure, but the thing is 95% methane and oxygen and there is certainly very little nitrogen associated with the engines. I’m sure they’re not looking to dump it with no regard, unless they carry on with the “autogenous thrusters” which involves using propellant for maneuvering.

        As for Mars, I think that’s total bullshit. His big idea was to corner the wireless internet market. He used Mars to sell it to us.