But Zuma was probably pretty successful for PopCap?

Yeah, it sounds like way too much risk for something so expensive- almost like a full time job to learn and put it all together. I didn’t build my car from parts, I’m not going to do it for a PC.

Weird, sounds like every fear I’ve had about wasting time and money on building it myself brought to life. The last thing I want to deal with is accidentally breaking expensive computer hardware, and I’m totally willing to pay someone to avoid dealing with that crap myself heh.

FGB-2 became the Russian Science Lab called “Nauka” (MLM). Originally stated to be launched in 2007, its now 10 years late and had to have all its plumbing rebuilt a few years ago. Then they found additional debris inside the tanks and had to devise an elaborate mechanism to remove it without taking apart the tanks…

In fact its likely that no one will go through quite the paint mixer that STS astronauts did... the shaking was made more apparent by being inside the side-mounted Shuttle. Plus there was a big 3hz vibration that lasted for the first minute or so that was a result of the “twang” from the shuttle stack dissipating. …

Recent comments point to the Lunar Tourist thing being pushed to 2019 or 2020- at the very least its supposed to happen after Crew Dragon is certified and enters service.

The rocket flew its normal polar course during most of the flight, but it was the final stage that thought it was being launched from Baikonur and set about correcting that error. Promptly deorbiting itself into the ocean.

Probably doesn’t help that the first flagship mission of Prometheus, the“Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter” (JIMO) turned into a monster of a nuclear spacecraft requiring 3 Delta IV Heavy launches (!) and unmanned assembly/docking. Of note, the US still has yet to implement large-scale unmanned spacecraft docking- the first…

Interestingly enough, NASA has actually restarted Nuclear Thermal Rocket work at a low level and is working on nuclear power reactors for space missions (called Kilopower). Its not enough to do a ton, but it seems that they’re aware of it...

Theres probably a crossover point with Atlas here as well. The main reason why Atlas/Delta will probably be preferred for science missions is that the increased available impulse from their cryogenic upper stages helps get a lot more capability than the traditional RP-1 or storable upper stage. Which is part of why…

Thats.... not at all how the economics of any of this work... even remotely. Don’t ever assume that Musk’s (BFR or otherwise) timeline/dates have anything to do with reality, its a better bet that way.

Heck, or even assuming you live in a place that has that climate AND has things like a hose available for use. Sorry apartment renters!

A forklift hits a wall across the way and someone’s computer on the 3rd floor randomly explodes into a shower of sparks.

Stabilized video showing this effect more clearly.

Issue with $70 is it amplifies the existing situation where people become more reluctant to pay up front with only a trailer or some youtube videos to go on. For a $14 movie ticket thats pretty reasonable- if you don’t like it you can leave and only be out $14 or you could finish it and be out 90 minutes of your…

Deep Space Gateway remains funded under ARM and NEXT-step as well as the ISS partners and Blue Origin wanting to use the station and add things to it. SLS will be a decent if expensive starting place, and we don’t lose out on all the public data (Commercial space does not need to release things like NASA does ).

Its not a full capsule, its a metal shell with mass simulator components. Originally they were going to use the EFT-1 capsule, but this is a modification for water.

One of the saddest things about the prequels is that just about any story you make up on the spot is more moving and powerful than what they chose to do.

Funny, the same comment applies to ITS...

Congress cheaped out in the beginning- development programs typically have a bump of funding at the beginning to get through the first stages of production before going back to normal levels. This didn’t happen and they stretched the schedule to compensate.