Comment by rory096 | Hacker News Reader

Comment by rory096 | Hacker News Reader

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This comment does not deserve to be downvoted so far. SpaceX's policy is absolutely to move fast and iterate constantly instead of relying on hardware 'legacy' and keeping designs static. This is a stark break from the way traditional space companies do things, and both sides have recognized that it has caused some friction with NASA as it adjusts to SpaceX's way of doing things.

Dan Rasky's (excellent) oral history videos[0] of his time as NASA's liaison to SpaceX for technology transfer under the COTS program touches on this, as does SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell's oral history.[1]

Blue Origin's motto, on the other hand, is Gradatim Ferociter: Step by Step, Ferociously. They are known for moving slowly and surely.

[0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMLDAgDNOhk

[1] https://www.jsc.nasa.gov/history/oral_histories/C3PO/Shotwel...

> consumers have gotten to watch crash after crash and explosion after explosion.

No, it definitely deserves to be downvoted.

It's a valid point. Even though we informed spaceflight observers know that these explosions were experimental (and would've happened anyway, more violently even, when boosters were expended), the average member of the public may not be familiar with the nuances of booster recovery.

It's plausible that it could become a PR issue.

People watching videos on Youtube are not SpaceX consumer/customer. Or am I missing something?

Here is a full SpaceX manifest both past and future: https://www.reddit.com/r/SpaceX/wiki/launches/manifest

As it stands right now, they are most likely the largest rocket company right now (or at least the top 2), they seem to be adding more order every other month. Not a sign of their customer base losing confidence in them.

This is true, of course, but I think the grandparent is talking about the far future. Eventually, if Musk's and/or Bezos' visions are to be realized, the average person will be a consumer — whether for space tourism, earth-to-earth transit, industry, or colonization.

New Shepard 1 crashed.

There's no footage that I'm aware of.

It's all about perception I guess.

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