> Personally, from a technology standpoint, I am not that impressed compared to what we have done in the past when it comes to space exploration.
This is possibly the most Hacker News comment I have ever seen.
This is possibly the most Hacker News comment I have ever seen.
62 years after the first flight, world-wide air travel numbered a billion passenger-miles per day.
So, pardon me, but the pessimism about space progress is fairly justified.
It's "only" about 2% of global energy consumption. Not nothing, but also not that significant. There are much bigger energy wasters that can be targeted.
And air travel is growing at a steep rate because air travel has gotten so cheap and big populations in developing countries take up air travel.
Hence the focus on reusability by SpaceX and Blue Origin.
It's entirely possible that chemical rockets will turn out to be the "hot air balloon" of space travel. Whether this perspective increases or decreases your pessimism is up to you.
“No wireless. Less space than a Nomad. Lame.” Rob Malda, on the iPod at its release in 2001.