Elon Musk’s SpaceX surpasses China’s space agency in the number of passengers sent into orbit (22 vs 20). Now #3 behind NASA (~904) and Russia (~407)

[mike2000 is back]

How much of SpaceX’s technology is the development of people that worked at the other launch companies like UnitedLaunchAlliance and just went to go work for Musk? Isn’t his private venture the result of our taxpayer funded R&D over the last 7 decades? I haven't looked into what innovations SpaceX made beyond their reusable concept and large thrust engines, but isn’t the rest of the technology just industry knowledge from other companies?

If it was just that, then ask yourself why out of all the other US private/public companies only SpaceX has been able to single-handedly revive US space program(in fact without spaceX i think the US will have much more issues keeping up with the current launch capabilities they now have thanks to SpaceX). Why hasn't Blue Origin, Boeing, ULA, virgin Galactic, sierra nevada corporation etc achieved the same thing?
If it was as easy as you said/vlaim, then all of these companies would have achieved the same or even more than SpaceX today. Lol So no, its not just because of what you said.
A good example is to look how Boeing despite all the experience,capital(they have access to more funds than spaceX), knowledge and skilled staffs they have, they still struggled with their Starliner for so long, meanwhile spacex zoomed passed them long ago and tested and put into practice their own crew capsule designed entirely by them in a short period of time.
In fact spaceX has even put to shame Boeing with this program. Even me myself i have been surprised by how spaceX has grown and achieved so much in such a short period of time . Not even the US government expected them to achieved so much to be honest. I don't think anybody could have predicted that.

 

[FuturePAF]

Well their Crew Dragon is a completely new design...they could have taken a shortcut and leveraged the Apollo capsule like China did with their Shenzhou from the Soyuz.

However Boeing (who makes the competing Starliner spacecraft) likely wasn't eager to hand SpaceX (their competitor) any of the Apollo spacecraft plans since they now own them after acquiring Rockwell International (the original Apollo maker) and are leveraging it for their own Starliner.

Boeing Names Its New Apollo-Style Spacecraft the Starliner

The aviation and aerospace giant announced the name of its future space fleet Friday.

www.nbcnews.com

SpaceX had to even design their own flightsuits.

Orlan flightsuit used by the Russians and Chinese

View attachment 851650
NASA LES/ACES flightsuit (made by aerospace supplier David Clark Company)

SpaceX flightsuit

You may recall many of the established big aerospace companies (especially ULA) were making a lot of money soaking the US government for high fees and weren't about to help SpaceX take away a slice of their pie. So SpaceX was pretty much on their own and built much of their stuff from scratch. They even had to buy their rocket metal from a European company since nobody was going to help them out.

2014 Elon Musk begging the US Government to stop listening to the established big powerful aerospace companies and allow SpaceX to launch US government satellite payloads.

Thanks. Good to know at least we are getting more (and new tech) for our tax dollars.

 

[FuturePAF]

If it was just that, then ask yourself why pit of all the other US private/public companies only SpaceX has been able to single-handedly revive US space program(in fact without spaceX i thibk the US will have much more issues keeping up with the current launch capabilities they now have thanks to SpaceX. Why hasnt Blue Origin, Boeing, ULA, virgin Galactic, sierra nevada corporation etc achieved the same thing?
If it was as easy as yoj said, then all of these companies wouldnhave achieved the same or even more than SpaceX today. Lol So no, its not just because of what you said.
A good example is to look how Boeing despite all the experience,capital(they have access to more funds than spaceX) knowledge and skilled staffs they have they still struggled with Starliner for so long, meanwhile spacex zoomed passed them long ago and tested and put ibto practice their own crew capsule designed entirely them. In fact spaceX has even put to shame Boeing with this program. Even me myself i have been surprised by how spaceX has grown and achieved so much in such a short period of time . Not even the US government expected them to achieved so much to be honest. I don't think anybody could have predicted that.

So how do you think they did it. We’re there just underutilized and under funded engineers not given the resources to do big and bold things like we use to do in the 50s and 60s?

 

[Beast]

China is still new in manned spaceflight compared to US and Russia. So it's normal they are still way behind , Russia and the US have accumulated decades of experience before China even had a manned soace program.
Its true though that SpaceX has moved with lightening speed in almost every sector (manned spaceflight, rocket launches, satellite program etc. Makes every country's space agency look like amateurs/slow.

SpaceX has achieved what many thought was impossible for a private space company . They are just too good. Its crazy what they are doing . Even boeing with all their experience struggled with starliner for so long, compare this with SpaceX X. Have to hand it to Musk , the guy is a legend.

Absolutely BS, by your theory. China shouldn't have land a working rover on Mars and shall have wait for Russian to accomplish the feat before China able to do so.

You have to realized Russia are still using almost the same Soyuz as in the 60s.


Shenzhou being late and share some similarity but have also many feature different from soyuz like being bigger which can actually accommodate 4 astronaut if needed. It has an independent solar panel on on the spacecraft that in fact makes it like a mini space station.

Well their Crew Dragon is a completely new design...they could have taken a shortcut and leveraged the Apollo capsule like China did with their Shenzhou from the Soyuz.

However Boeing (who makes the competing Starliner spacecraft) likely wasn't eager to hand SpaceX (their competitor) any of the Apollo spacecraft plans since they now own them after acquiring Rockwell International (the original Apollo maker) and are leveraging it for their own Starliner.

Boeing Names Its New Apollo-Style Spacecraft the Starliner

The aviation and aerospace giant announced the name of its future space fleet Friday.

www.nbcnews.com

SpaceX had to even design their own flightsuits.

Orlan flightsuit used by the Russians and Chinese

View attachment 851650
NASA LES/ACES flightsuit (made by aerospace supplier David Clark Company)

SpaceX flightsuit

You may recall many of the established big aerospace companies (especially ULA) were making a lot of money soaking the US government for high fees and weren't about to help SpaceX take away a slice of their pie. So SpaceX was pretty much on their own and built much of their stuff from scratch. They even had to buy their rocket metal from a European company since nobody was going to help them out.

2014 Elon Musk begging the US Government to stop listening to the established big powerful aerospace companies and allow SpaceX to launch US government satellite payloads.

Dragon capsule design is borrowed from NASA Orion unfinished project.

 

[SaadH]

How much of SpaceX’s technology is the development of people that worked at the other launch companies like UnitedLaunchAlliance and just went to go work for Musk? Isn’t his private venture the result of our taxpayer funded R&D over the last 7 decades? I haven't looked into what innovations SpaceX made beyond their reusable concept and large thrust engines, but isn’t the rest of the technology just industry knowledge from other companies?

Indeed Musk the PT Barnum of our times won't amount to anything if it wasn't for his leeching public funding, gov't handouts, standing on other's achievements and family connection. Space is a low margin business in fact a lost making business and if the gov't doesn't subsidize the industry, you'll be out of business shortly...

Biggest charlatan out there...

 

[dBSPL]

I'm saving up DOGE for my space travel.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Dragon capsule design is borrowed from NASA Orion unfinished project.

What do you mean unfinished? Orion is sitting on the SLS right now and it doesn't look anything like the Dragon...it looks more like the Boeing Starliner (CST-100) and Apollo. About the only thing it has in common is a heatshield, parachutes, and a top hatch...which BTW the Soyuz and Shenzhou also have.

Hmm speaking of Dragon and Orion similarities...

BTW that will make the US have 3 active spacecraft that can potentially carry astronauts.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/21/business/american-astronaut-russian-launch-scn/index.html

Russia:
Vostok: 6
Voskhod: 2
Soyuz: ~402
Total : ~410

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

NASA and SpaceX launch 4 more crew to the space station

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — The SpaceX taxi service from the Space Coast took flight again today with NASA’s Crew-5 mission to the International Space Station. The four-person crew from NASA…

www.orlandosentinel.com

Crew Dragon: 30
Total: 30

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

SpaceX Crew-5 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Crew 5

Crew 5 on ISS

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Dragon capsule design is borrowed from NASA Orion unfinished project.

Um..it's heading to the moon right now

Orion Launches to the Moon on Artemis I​

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

https://www.usnews.com/news/news/articles/2022-11-29/china-launches-3-astronauts-to-complete-space-station

China Launches 3 Astronauts to Complete Space Station

China:
Shenzhou: 26
Total: 26

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 Safely En Route to International Space Station - NASA

Crew members assigned to NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission are in orbit following their successful launch to the International Space Station at 12:34 a.m. EST

www.nasa.gov

Crew Dragon: 34
Total: 34

 

[F-22Raptor]

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 Safely En Route to International Space Station - NASA

Crew members assigned to NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission are in orbit following their successful launch to the International Space Station at 12:34 a.m. EST

www.nasa.gov

Crew Dragon: 34
Total: 34

SpaceX is leaving China in the dust

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Axiom Mission 2 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The Ax-2 crew (left to right): Ali Alqarni, Rayyanah Barnawi, commander Peggy Whitson and pilot John Shoffner.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1660347300030431232

Crew Dragon: 38
Total: 38