This segment was sort of a let down, because the same lies about reusable rockets were repeated without researching them apparently. Some of musk’s most agreed upon accomplishments were achieved 30-40 years ago, but people on TV can’t help but give him the accolades.
Also not much digging into the Starlink for Ukraine debacle, or the fact that he didn’t actually donate all that hardware, didn’t donate the service, and it wasn’t being used in nearly the capacity initially reported because the people receiving the units were happy to bullshit for him as long as they got gear to use.
Imo it's really an important milestone in rocketry.
What launch vehicle in history has been better in terms of reusability and reliability than the Falcon 9 series?
And how often could they launch and what was the turnaround of those reusable parts?
I haven't followed SpaceX closely in a few years (Elon is crazy and it has gotten pretty boring (but impressive) with the constant launches) so I are not that up to date. But last I checked, a lot of the launches used reused first stages and in some cases the stages had been used 3 times.
A quick search query finds that the record is a booster having been reused 16 times. Hell they even reuse the fairing these days.
The space shuttles are cool but they waste quite a lot and they are very expensive.
And no I don't like Elon but I have to give credit where credit is due. SpaceX is a game changer in rocketry, nothing even comes close.
SpaceX did not pioneer reusable launch systems. Flat out. They've been experimented with since the 1960s, commercial companies were experimenting with them in the 1990s. Even the name FALCON comes from a project DARPA was working on.
There was also this famously reusable system in the US called Shuttle Launch System, consisting of a reusable shuttle, two reusable solid boosters, and an expendable extension tank.
Hell they even reuse the fairing these days.
No they don't, they stopped that attempt because recovering them was pointless and difficult.
The space shuttles are cool but they waste quite a lot and they are very expensive.
Yes, imagine if we used a capsule system like Russia kept using.
give credit where credit is due
Ok, then start thanking the people that developed these things in the 60s through the 90s.
Other than an interview from his father there's no evidence of it and Elon denys it. The mine was unofficial and there's no paper trail. It's a risky claim to make from a journalistic perspective.
Thankfully it's not journalism. It's comedy. I know it's hard to tell the difference, but here's a tip: comedians are far more likely to tell the truth these days.