@nafnlaus @raumfahrttutnot Thats sadly right, #Boeing should build better spacecraft, if #NASA wants the mere option to operate without #Musk.

And #Europe should better become more of the quirky continent that maybe never will get so many influencers and social Media channels praising them like #Musk has, but actually builds functional, rock-solid spacecraft and could, with some more courage, also create functional, rock-solid manned spacecraft.

@urwumpe @raumfahrttutnot They're all way too conservative with their development processes, due to an institutional complacency that arose from having too little competition decade after decade.

Like, Europe is just started working on a competitor to SpaceX....

... to their *Falcon 9*. Not Starship. Starship will be inserting payloads while ESA's next rocket is still just concept drawings competing with a nearly 1 1/2 decade-old launch vehicle.

@nafnlaus @raumfahrttutnot Right now, Starship is nothing more than one expensive show that is again years behind Musks loudmouthed announcements and gets reduced in capability in every design iteration without the yes men caring.

I wouldn't compare it too favorable to any government agency doing the same with more stakeholders messing with the program.

@urwumpe @raumfahrttutnot I saw numerous comments almost word-for-word like yours while watching the development of Falcon 1, and then once again during the development of Falcon 9.

Starship has already made it to orbit. It's not ready to launch commercial payloads yet, but it's very much not just "an announcement".

@nafnlaus @urwumpe
NASA made it to the moon. Earlier in history. With men to it´s surface. Why they did not do it again long since?

Because a is not b.

History and luck of Falcon 9 is not necessarily that of starship.