We are developing the social individualist meta-context for the future. From the very serious to the extremely frivolous... lets see what is on the mind of the Samizdata people.

Samizdata, derived from Samizdat /n. - a system of clandestine publication of banned literature in the USSR [Russ.,= self-publishing house]

The next logical step…

Now that the Falcon 9 has flown, the Falcon 9 Heavy is looking a lot closer.

Perhaps the most amazing thing about the success of SpaceX is that they have designed and orbited multiple clean-sheet design engines; the Falcon 1 and Falcon 9 launch vehicles; and a test article for a cargo/manned space capsule for about $500M. That’s comparable to the fully burdened (Not the incremental) cost of one shuttle flight. I believe it is less than the escape system development cost on the dead-on-arrival Ares I project.

2 comments to The next logical step…

  • Nuke Gray

    But how soon before I could buy a ticket to the moon? (I want to harvest all that cheese!) And how much would it cost me?

  • Damn

    It does seem to be happening! And fairly fast! As Obama has shown he doesn’t much care for space (a good thing! – and hence he is letting private companies run the show), I guess we aren’t as worried about regulatory uncertainty as say, in health care or financial markets?