Billionaire Space Shots

[MossRoad]

Haven't any of you guys just built something because you wanted to try? Just to see if it could be done? Or if you could do it even though somebody else already did?

Wheres the fun in sitting around wondering if you could do something VS trying it yourself?

 

[MoKelly]

No matter what benefits come from this 'race' I still think it is like 'my toys is better than yours' style of bragging.
EGO!

Billionaires bragging to each other? Who woulda thought.

 

[jjp8182]

Wheres the fun in sitting around wondering if you could do something VS trying it yourself?

^^^^ is why I'm looking forward to eventually retiring (& hopefully "early") just to have more time to tinker and try making the things I want to make.

sometimes it's just fun to tinker ... and it tends to amazes me how amazed some people become when they see even the simplest of creations they'd never thought about or imagined doing themselves.

Even something as mundane as a simple/rudimentary custom-designed/made shelf ....

 

[jjp8182]

Billionaires bragging to each other? Who woulda thought.

Almost like they're just like so many "ordinary" (non-billionaires) people

 

[MoKelly]

Almost like they're just like so many "ordinary" (non-billionaires) people

I am exactly like Bezos and Gates and Buffet —- only difference is in the zeros!

What’s the difference between 500,000 and 50,000,000,000?

Only 5 little ole zeros.

MoKelly

 

[Solitary Man]

I am exactly like Bezos and Gates and Buffet —- only difference is in the zeros!

What’s the difference between 500,000 and 50,000,000,000?

Only 5 little ole zeros.

MoKelly

It's amazing how fast those zero's add up ! When for most of us zero = nothin .

 

[Frankenkubota]

Im not seeing semiconductor on NASA's official list. I do see CT scan machine and a few others we could argue have a reasonable impact on society. Many others are on par with what we have developed outside the space program. Im not that impressed.

Don't get me wrong I love space exploration, and honestly the best way is to let the private sector billionaires waste their money on it. However I do still feel bouncing off of the atmosphere is not really worth 17 billion. One could argue pursuing the technology to go to Mars could be better spent pursuing the technology to modernize our power grid and reduce reliance on fossil fuels (really come up with a cost effective, efficient, sustainable method of power production and storage for the next 1000 years).

I guess us peons will sit back and see how it all works out! Still exciting to watch.

generally speaking, people are excited about going to space, not so much fixing the grid.

funny, i worked in both industries, Westinghouse and Hughes Aircraft

 

[txdon]

It used to be yachts now it's space ships.

 

[bigtiller]

I wonder how much these trips cost ME & YOU through tax breaks and wright-offs.

 

[Liquidsilver]

I wonder how much these trips cost ME & YOU through tax breaks and wright-offs.

Costing 'me and you,' because they're spending money 'me and you' can't take from them. Gotcha.

 

[bigtiller]

Costing 'me and you,' because they're spending money 'me and you' can't take from them. Gotcha.

Why do you want to take money from them? Gotcha?

 

[Liquidsilver]

Why do you want to take money from them? Gotcha?

You wrote that you "wonder how much these trips cost ME & YOU through tax breaks and wright-offs."

My point is that tax breaks and write-offs should not COST anything to 'ME & YOU.' If you're thinking that 'ME & YOU' somehow get to keep the money they would pay in taxes without tax breaks and write-offs, then I think your thinking is typical of a keynesian economics worldview that thinks 'ME & YOU' get richer if these guys are taxed more.

'Typical' brought forth my comment, "Gotcha," meaning I don't agree but don't care to argue.

I don't know where Branson or Musk stand on many issues, but I do know that I believe Bezos supports totalitarian, fascist, socialist political structures that I find highly objectionable. So, I try to steer MY money away from his businesses wherever possible.

The fact that these three men are fixated with space travel does not bother me at all, as long as it is THEIR money.

 

[rekees4300]

4 days, July 20, to go until Jeff Bezos takes off. The mission will include the youngest and oldest passengers ever to go into space. Youngest is 18, oldest is 82.

Blue Origin’s final passenger for its first human spaceflight will be 18-year-old Oliver Daemen – TechCrunch

 

[MoKelly]

I read the entire trip will last 10 minutes. Is that true?

MoKelly

 

[Fuddy1952]

Off topic somewhat but how about a "hundredaire" space flight?
As a kid I was always ordering stuff from Edmund Scientific (in Barrington NJ I think).
I ordered a weather balloon then spent the day using Mom's vacuum cleaner, hose connected to exhaust, inflating it.
Finally it was "YUGE!"
Then what to do. It wasn't a windy day but hard holding onto, of course no lift but bulky.
We lived in the country but off of a major highway so I decided if I could get it down our long driveway across the road was my best friend and he'd be amazed. Somehow I made it...cars blowing horns, people yelling! Luckily my friend was home and amazed...until it snagged on a telephone pole ripping it apart, but well worth it.
Always curious if you had a big pasture and enough helium to lift your weight less 10 pounds strapped to a body harness what it would be like. Not enough lift but close enough you'd feel weightless.

 

[rekees4300]

I read the entire trip will last 10 minutes. Is that true?

MoKelly

Mo according to this website in the section called "What is the plan for the mission?" the trip will last around 11 minutes. It should also be noted in that section there is a capsule/3 parachutes used to return the astronauts. I mistakenly thought they were going to come back in the self-landing booster rocket. That would have been very dangerous IMO.

Blue Origin: launch date, flight time, and how to watch Bezos crewed flight

 

[/pine]

IMO
Obviously these billionaire backed endeavors are advancing and promoting human space flight and exploration...but a lot of the effort is purely commercial in nature and designed as for profit companies...but said profit is not directly meant to come from accomplishments...the money is designed to come from "space tourists"...

With just a fraction of the monies spent on developing these space tourist planes/rockets... a lot more advancement in the exploration of the sea bed and the plethora of natural resources that are waiting to be discovered...we know more about Mars than we know about what's below the oceans right here on Earth...

Guys like bezoes and that limey are not really doing anything patriotic or for the betterment of America...they are doing it for the almighty dollar...

And musk is no better...one small gamma ray burst and all those starlink satellites are noting but a debris field of worthless space junk endangering future projects...

Rather than thinking about these milestone first launches of space tourists...think about where it's really headed...it's all about getting to use a resource (space) that belongs to everyone so they can make a profit...

America and Americans gained greatly from the Apollo etc. project...we gained so much in the way of technology it will likely never be repeated in such a short time span...But be aware we will gain little to nothing from these private commercial space companies...

 

[MoKelly]

Mo according to this website in the section called "What is the plan for the mission?" the trip will last around 11 minutes. It should also be noted in that section there is a capsule/3 parachutes used to return the astronauts. I mistakenly thought they were going to come back in the self-landing booster rocket. That would have been very dangerous IMO.

Blue Origin: launch date, flight time, and how to watch Bezos crewed flight

Thanks!

Quite a lot of money for an 11 minute ride.

I couldn’t even take cell phone pictures in 11 minutes!

MoKelly

 

[5030]

Thanks!

Quite a lot of money for an 11 minute ride.

I couldn’t even take cell phone pictures in 11 minutes!

MoKelly

Not an issue. You don't have the funds anyway.

 

[Cougsfan]

Space exploration and extraterrestrial technological advancement is one thing. Billionaires wasting boatloads of money to go on a joy ride is another. It is there money and they can do whatever they wish with it. But from my viewpoint, I can think of a lot more beneficial ways in which to spend your excess monies to advance civilization. Anyone that signs up for that flight is at the lower end of my respect ledger (as if they care).