Mark KristenssonJun 2
Joshua Holland

Good piece. #elonmusk is such a grifter.

“The lesson here is that SpaceX somehow needs to make Starship significantly more robust and lighter by well over a hundred tonnes if it is to conduct even one successful mission, let alone achieve constant reuse — which, let’s be clear, is basically impossible. All flight 9 has proven is just how much of a dead end Starship is.”

https://www.planetearthandbeyond.co/p/starship-dead-end

Starship: Dead End?

What happened on Test Flight 9?

Will Lockett's Newsletter
Jun 1 at 9:18pmIceCubesApp
Show threadJoshua HollandJun 1
“After nine launches, Saturn V only had one partial, non-destructive failure and had taken three crews to the lunar surface.”
Show threadJeff McNeillJun 1

@JoshuaHolland Musk is a con man and physics will not bend to his lies.

Starship Was Doomed From The Beginning:

https://www.planetearthandbeyond.co/p/starship-was-doomed-from-the-beginning

Starship Was Doomed From The Beginning

The fatal flaw SpaceX can't overcome.

Will Lockett's Newsletter
Show threadgrob 🇺🇦Jun 1
@JoshuaHolland I dug out some predictions of Musk's on his little Mars grift. He's long overdue the promised results https://mstdn.social/@grob/114513082212437239 ceterum censeo he's a fascist
grob 🇺🇦 (@grob@mstdn.social)

Friendly reminder - due to the current news situation - that according to Musk, there will be an unmanned SpaceX capsule and humans on Mars by *checks notes* 2018 and 2024, respectively. https://www.engadget.com/2016-09-27-spacex-elon-musk-mars-mission-details.html

Mastodon 🐘
Show threadMichael StancliftJun 1

@JoshuaHolland yes, but also, if he wants to waste his money over and over and over again who am I to say stop?

@lisamelton

Show threadGrassroots JoeJun 1

@vmstan @JoshuaHolland @lisamelton

It's not his money, it's ours. All of it is being done on contract to NASA and we're footing the bill.

Show threadtinkelJun 1

@joeinwynnewood @vmstan @JoshuaHolland @lisamelton

Majority of the Starship development (the launch vehicle and its reusability features) is SpaceX private investment, well over $5 billion at this point.

The total contract value of related NASA funding is $4.04 billion and is payed when milestones are met (Human Landing System, refueling demos, unscrewed test flight to demonstrate lunar landing)

Show threadque :verifried:Jun 2
@tinkel @joeinwynnewood @vmstan @JoshuaHolland @lisamelton just because we can do these things, doesnt mean we should. feels like the resources could be better used elsewhere.
Show threadtinkelJun 2

@que @joeinwynnewood @vmstan @JoshuaHolland @lisamelton

The NASA Moon mission is a huge mess for reasons not related to SpaceX.

For details, watch Destin Sandlin's invited talk to American Astronatical Society. I Was scared to say this to NASA... (But I said it anyway)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoJsPvmFixU

Sandlin is an aerospace engineer, PhD candidate, and science communicator.

I Was SCARED To Say This To NASA... (But I said it anyway) - Smarter Every Day 293

YouTube
Show threadNiceMicroJun 1

@vmstan @JoshuaHolland @lisamelton if it was "his money", the we should be still worried about him blowing up rockets over the nature preserve of Boca Chica.

Let's remember, he got the permission to use that area as a launch pad on condition that the rocket power will not exceed that of the Falcon 9, because of the noise that literally kills animals in the nature preserve.

Texas govt. letting him launch Starship there (even if successful) would be a significant betrayal.

#elonMusk #spaceX

Show threadSingsongRaptorJun 2
@vmstan @JoshuaHolland @lisamelton he's viciously polluting and destroying the environment near his infrastructure, flouting federal laws in multiple states, contributing to the continued exploitation of people in Africa in mines, including child slavery and he's violating treaties with more than one indigenous tribe, nevermind that he's stealing from taxpayers, exploiting his workers, is a union buster, and is selling lethally dangerous junk vehicles to the public.
Show threadMichael StancliftJun 2
@SingsongRaptor @JoshuaHolland @lisamelton
Show threadThe Old Fart 💙🇺🇦Jun 1
@JoshuaHolland try strapping a rocket engine on a cyber truck!
Show threadMastodon MigrationJun 1

@JoshuaHolland

Absolutely spot on:

"We will look back at this period in history and realise that letting a billionaire’s ego drive innovation — rather than as part of a collective effort, as seen with Apollo and the Saturn V — was a grave mistake."

Show threadMastodon MigrationJun 1

@JoshuaHolland

Just to illustrate more of how bonkers this all is, as Lockett mentions, the plan to refuel in space is currently untested science and considered by experts to be a very complex and risky endeavor since fluids behave very differently in micro gravity.

Here is an excellent interview with Georgia Tech professor Álvaro Romero-Calvo, a fluids expert discussing these challenges. He mentions Starship briefly starting at 48:30:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnKwzi7nvOU

Fluids Get Really Weird In Space [NIAC 2024]

YouTube
Show threadMastodon MigrationJun 1

@JoshuaHolland

And, for more check out:

Idle Words: The Lunacy of Artemis, or why the Artemis moon program is incoherent, badly designed bollocks that will probably kill astronauts: https://idlewords.com/2024/5/the_lunacy_of_artemis.htm

The Lunacy of Artemis (Idle Words)

Show threadToni AittoniemiJun 2
@mastodonmigration @JoshuaHolland Musk seems to think that if it’s possible in Kerbal Space Program, he can do it in real life. 😄
Show threadMastodon MigrationJun 2

@gimulnautti @JoshuaHolland

And what's more he is good at selling it to decision makers, and silencing real experts.

Show threadCat WestJun 1
@JoshuaHolland It needs an onboard pilot. I nominate Musk … I mean, if he truly believes in his genius… he’ll happily strap in.
Show threadchrispJun 1
@Catawu "Err, achully, wait, I think we need to spend an extra years and $10 billion more on it, you know, just to double check! Maybe I was a bit too hasty, lols!"
Show threadGreg BellJun 1
@JoshuaHolland Phony Stark will have his AI invent the formula for unobtanium to build it and then power it with his own ego
Show threadGuill.Jones, Honorary CanadianJun 1
@JoshuaHolland
Elon Musk: Dead End!
Show threadDianora (Diane Bruce)Jun 2
@JoshuaHolland Russians tried the many small rocket engines approach as well with the N1. It was not great either.
Show threadPassengerJun 2

@Dianora @JoshuaHolland

It is, however, the best approach when playing Kerbal Space Program.

I hope hope hope that this is not relevant to why SpaceX decided to use it, but I can't say for sure.

Show threadEricOnEquitiesJun 2

@JoshuaHolland Anyone who spent a couple hours playing Kerbal Space Program would know it’s not easy or economical to get that much mass out of orbit without multiple stages.

I am sure something was learned or tested here. I hope it was worth it!

Show threadT. J. BombadilJun 2
@JoshuaHolland the booster, on the other hand, seems like it might be useful if you put something better on top.
Show threadToni AittoniemiJun 2

@JoshuaHolland Already losing to Saturn V. A rocket built with 1960’s material technology.

Grand Theft Rocket that will never go to the moon. What will go to the moon is the amount of taxpayer money in the pockets of Musk, though.

Show threadMerry ChristmasJun 2

@JoshuaHolland

As long as it drags Millions of Dollar out of Musk's pocket he can keep sending up duff so call Rockets until he is broke.

In fact I pray that he does that.

Show threadDigitalTaoist #resistsJun 2
@JoshuaHolland
Back to the "drawing board" for SpaceX? Seems like money for old rope at this point.
Show threadDingoJun 2
@JoshuaHolland
Sounds like spacex needs some tesla-ing.