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Comment by carabiner | Hacker News Reader

This is a glimpse of the aerospace industry behind the curtain. Much of it is backed by the filipino and hispanic working class in LA. These guys live in the roughest neighborhoods and are in charge of precision assembly of human transport. I don't know the exact ratio, but maybe 5 technicians like him per office engineer.

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SpaceX is a for profit organisation.

You might find it hard to believe, but having select few design equipment and processes that will then be used by much less skilled and paid workers is how most production companies work.

Now, I don't have any numbers. But if SpaceX is able to hire and maintain predominantly minority staff (assuming they are paid a reasonable wage) isn't it a win for those communities?

I feel like Francisco Cabada probably doesn't count it as a win.

Hire enough people to work around dangerous things and you will get accidents.

The question really is whether the company is reasonably trying to prevent unnecessary risks and react with changes when accidents happen.

Not sure. Many people are happy to take risks to improve the lives of the next generation. I work in R&D and when my kids have asked if I could die at work, I say “yes” with a smile :)

> Much of it is backed by the filipino and hispanic working class in LA

Most of the aerospace industry isn't in Los Angeles [1].

[1] https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes172011.htm#st

What's wrong with folks who live in "the roughest neighborhoods" being "in charge of precision assembly of human transport?"

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