Prof. Sam Lawler

I'm looking more into the Axoim private astronaut thing and it's really fucking weird. The language?! "Are you ready to become one of the pioneers opening space to all?" (where "all" = "billionaires")

"Whatever you choose, space offers creative freedom, inspiration, and a global megaphone that simply does not exist on Earth." (WHAT IS THIS SHIT?)

https://www.axiomspace.com/start/private-astronauts

More realistic marketing: It's totally worth dropping garbage from orbit on random people. They're likely poorer than you.

Start: Private Astronaut — Axiom Space

Axiom Space
Jul 30, 2024 at 2:16amWeb
Show threadMichael GemarJul 30, 2024
@sundogplanets They’re advertising to those billionaires who can afford a trip, so it’s not surprising the web content is wildly out of touch with everyday reality.
Show threadneville parkJul 30, 2024
@sundogplanets wait, I've heard this horror podcast episode https://snarp.github.io/magnus_archives_transcripts/episode/057.html
MAG057 - Personal Space • The Magnus Archives Transcripts Archive Archive A (Extremely Unofficial)

TMA transcripts in slightly-more-readable format. Mostly converted versions of the official transcripts; the rest have links to the source/transcriber.

Show threadFediThing Jul 30, 2024

@sundogplanets

Kind of does feel like they're dogwhistling for wealthy megalomaniacs... 😬

Show threadjarekJul 30, 2024
@sundogplanets they named themselves the same as the spaceship in Wall-E that was humanity's corpo-laden refuge from nearly terminally polluted Earth?
Show threadThe Stage Rabbit (he/him)Jul 30, 2024
@sundogplanets Billionaires are afraid of shoddy submarines now. Shoddy spacecraft are the next logical step.
Show threadMichael BuschJul 30, 2024

@sundogplanets I would like to know why Axiom Space is being allowed to do these missions without fully paying for the extra costs to the station - $10 million does not come near the extra cost to the member agencies for each billionaire joyride.

I wonder if they would have the same number of people signing up if it cost them another $70 million or so for each trip.

Show threadKevin McCoyJul 30, 2024
@michael_w_busch @sundogplanets That's really interesting. Naively I think I've always assumed that the high costs associated with spaceflight stuff were more fixed costs, not so much incremental by astronaut. Can you talk more about it or suggest any reading?
Show threadMichael BuschJul 30, 2024

@kmccoy @sundogplanets The last time I checked the numbers was 5 years ago now:

In 2019 and 2019 dollars; NASA budget's was $1.46 billion for ISS operations, not including space transportation.

$1.46 billion / 3 people / 365 days => $1.3 million / day.

That includes everything from consumables to the ground support staff.

Axiom apparently paid NASA only about $10 million in 2021 to send 4 tourists to the station for 15 days - while SpaceX got paid the full price for the Dragon.

Show threadKevin McCoyJul 30, 2024
@michael_w_busch @sundogplanets Gotcha, thank you.
Show threadAriaflameJul 30, 2024
@michael_w_busch @kmccoy @sundogplanets I'd like to know how that broke down and what it was spent on before a clear comparison could be made (not that I think space tourism for billionaires is a good thing unless it makes them more aware of the Earth and how we need to take care of it)
Show threadDavid ForsythJul 30, 2024

@sundogplanets *Douglas Rushkoff Intensifies*

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2022/sep/04/super-rich-prepper-bunkers-apocalypse-survival-richest-rushkoff

#CarbonAgeCollapse

The super-rich ‘preppers’ planning to save themselves from the apocalypse

Tech billionaires are buying up luxurious bunkers to survive a societal collapse they helped create, but like everything they do, it has unintended consequences

The Guardian
Show threadbison ✅Jul 30, 2024
@sundogplanets "WHAT IS THIS SHIT?" sounds straight up like AI generated
Show threadcalvin 🛋️ Jul 30, 2024
@sundogplanets haha how does space offer a "global megaphone"? 🙄
Show threadJoshJul 30, 2024
@sundogplanets That bit about creative freedom and whatever could have been written for any one of the many ridiculous VC-funded nonsense scams posing as innovation. Quite incredible.
Show threadDeusJul 30, 2024
@sundogplanets Er, what's wrong with people earning a 'few' billions while exploring Space? I mean, it's 'good for humanity', 'we'll go be beyond the unknown' and stuff?
Show threadFinal Round Player 😷🇪🇺🍸Jul 31, 2024

@sundogplanets https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_of_Autonomous_Astronauts

Much safer.

Association of Autonomous Astronauts - Wikipedia