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Caught On Tape: Elon Musk's SpaceX Rocket's "Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly" Event

Tyler Durden's picture




 

It's not been a great week for Elon Musk. First he admits that Tesla sales in China were disappointing (which further tanked the stock down 15% in the last 3 weeks and over 36% off its record highs from last September) and then his SpaceX project suffered a significant setback in what Musk comedically called a "Full RUD (Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly) event."

 

As The Telegraph reports,

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has released the first images from last week's failed landing of its Falcon 9 rocket.

 

The booster was supposed to have landed on a barge floating off the coast of north-eastern Florida in what would have been a revolutionary first for the space company. The ability to land rockets for reuse is central to Musk's plan to cut the costs of flying into space.

After describing last weekend's attempted rocket landing as "close, but no cigar"...

 

 

The entrepreneur today gave a more vivid account of what happened, tweeting four dramatic pictures taken by cameras on board the platform. The images, which can be seen below, show the 223-foot-high rocket smashing into the deck of the ship at a 45-degree angle as its stabilising fins lose power.

Despite the loss of the booster, Musk cheerfully sums up the situation: "Full RUD (rapid unscheduled disassembly) event. Ship is fine minor repairs. Exciting day!"

 

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Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:08 | 5674835 starman
starman's picture

Hey just like the car it catches on fire! Well done chap! 

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:14 | 5674848 kaiserhoff
kaiserhoff's picture

Not the smartest approach to landing anything.

The Germans designed a massive prop for a fighter, that had to take off and land vertically.

Same result on landing.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:19 | 5674857 ZerOhead
ZerOhead's picture

Try 47% next time...

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:24 | 5674869 knukles
knukles's picture

Rapid Unscheduled Dis-Assembly.
Fuck Elon

 

I only say that as I'm weary of NewSpeak

Fucking thing blew-up
Asshole

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:27 | 5674871 Publicus
Publicus's picture

I forsee bankruptcy for  Elon Musk

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 20:13 | 5674982 negative rates
negative rates's picture

I gave up after a couple explosions and called it defective, and moved on.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 21:40 | 5675266 bania
bania's picture

Better than "concsious uncoupling". Barf.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 22:43 | 5675417 eatthebanksters
eatthebanksters's picture

'Minor repairs...'

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 23:39 | 5675546 Big Slick
Big Slick's picture

Almost worthy of government work.  40% of the Space Shuttles ever built and flown blew up in flight:

X Columbia

X Challenger

_ Discovery

_ Atlantis

_ Endeavor

 

 

 

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 10:59 | 5676296 samcontrol
samcontrol's picture

Good time as any.

I am really interested onZh,s opinion on the" moon landings" or " hoax" if on that side of the equation . It is "not yet" in my top five " confirmed hoaxes and /or flase flags.

I wouLd also love a TOP!FIVE Hoaxes list from you guys.
IThanks in advance.

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 11:10 | 5676326 Hobo Sapien
Hobo Sapien's picture

Duck and Cover

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 11:21 | 5676348 samcontrol
samcontrol's picture

i don,t get it?

i live far away form anything important at all, and nobody gives a shit about me!

I saw the apollo 11 press conference for the first time today.
One stupid question.
How can these three guys be so Depressed after man's greatest accomplishment?
" i can't remember if i saw stars.."

oh ok.

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 12:06 | 5676447 Hobo Sapien
Hobo Sapien's picture

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrRdoY2kzbg

sorry for being terse, you'll like this.

Also, the Making of: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcSHAj9mjPE

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 11:29 | 5676373 _SILENCER
_SILENCER's picture

Watch the flags billow in the air conditioner breeze on the moon

Also, suddenly weight was apparently not an issue anymore...they lugged a goddamn car to the moon, then, in bulky spacesuits in a completely inhospitable environment, assembled the goddamn thing. You'd think there'd be astonishing footage of men overcoming such an obstacle. Zippo.

The moon footage is total BS. I thik they WANTED to go, but they realized everyone would goddamn die from radiation exposure, and that pretty much killed it.

 

"Mr. Kubrick, could you helpus out here?"

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 11:35 | 5676392 samcontrol
samcontrol's picture

yes, kubrik in London studios .

unmanned Flights maybe?

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 11:47 | 5676417 _SILENCER
_SILENCER's picture

The flights were manned, they just stayed in orbit, the astronauts grew their beards, spoke to mission control, etc. There's NASA archive footage of the Apollo crew faking the shot of the earth as seen from some 100K miles away. Whoopsie.

The lunar telemetry data satellite previously launched in order to train Mission Control operators on how to interpret the data supposedly coming back from the moon could have used to dupe the people in Dallas.

There's a film called A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Moon that lays things out fairly well. It's on the world famous youtube.

If Google Earth can see the car in my driveway, the hubble can show me more than some dot on the moon where the legs of the LEM are allegedly left behind. This is supposed to be mankind's greatest technological achievement, and all we have is shitty footage, and allegedly no way - with all our improved imaging technology - to verify any of it 40+ years later.

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 12:39 | 5676554 Hobo Sapien
Hobo Sapien's picture

Jay Weidner had a great, awesome, exhaustive article on Kubrick and the moon landings, but then he finished his dvd, so the web pages were pulled and now you have to buy it. http://www.jayweidner.com/index.html#KO There's still a lot of analysis on the web, just Google search. Others here have pointed out good questions to ask.

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 12:13 | 5676465 Steaming_Wookie_Doo
Steaming_Wookie_Doo's picture

For some very interesting documentation re a hoax argument, check out http://davesweb.cnchost.com/ under "Wagging the Moon Doggie", 14 parts in all. 

 

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 23:13 | 5678480 _SILENCER
_SILENCER's picture

He was on John B Wells show the other day, and had some pretty interesting things to say...especially about the JFK killing

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 23:43 | 5675560 GMadScientist
GMadScientist's picture

That's what she said.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 20:47 | 5675087 Sages wife
Sages wife's picture

Elon Musk versus Mark Zuckerburg. Long Elon.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 20:52 | 5675108 JuliaS
JuliaS's picture

With him building rockets instead of cars, an endless supply of government backup dollars is guaranteed. If he were to build battery powered tanks instead of vehicles, Obama would've written him a personal cheque.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 21:43 | 5675274 lotsoffun
lotsoffun's picture

i forsee bankrubtcy also - but the boy had a lot of fun blowing up a lot of money.

not my thing at all, i like to walk and bike and hate cars and planes.

but  - this guy is getting to be the motor head jerk off of all time and not on his dime.

 

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 01:22 | 5675727 Spitzer
Spitzer's picture

Musk is a rent seeking scumbag. SpaceX will be history when Putin gets his new cosmodome up and running.

 

The Vostochny Cosmodrome (Russian: ????????? ????????? Kosmodrom Vostochny "Eastern Spaceport") is a Russian spaceport currently under construction on the 51st parallel north in the Amur Oblast, in the Russian Far East and Outer Manchuria. When completed in 2018, it is intended to reduce Russia's dependency on the Baikonur Cosmodrome, which is located in Kazakhstan.

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 02:03 | 5675800 roddy6667
roddy6667's picture

All his businesses are losing money and depend on massive influxes of tax dollarsm or the sale mof bubbleiciously overpriced stock to wild-eyed fanboyz.

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 15:58 | 5677140 TMLutas
TMLutas's picture

SpaceX is profitable and already has about $5bn in business booked for future delivery. If I understand it, you're complaining that the government is spending less per launch by buying from SpaceX and so it's getting public dollars and that as a publicly traded company, it issues stock. 

The outrage! SpaceX gets money from the public or private sector. Has Musk no shame? 

 

/sarc

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:31 | 5674889 WillyGroper
WillyGroper's picture

At least he didn't say conscious uncoupling.

 

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:31 | 5674890 Hobo Sapien
Hobo Sapien's picture

knuks - I think it was more geek humor than PR spin.

I laughed, anyway. And I also hate NewSpeak terms, like, say, Quantitative Easing.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:43 | 5674915 knukles
knukles's picture

Thank you, Hobo

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:38 | 5674901 P?keh?
P?keh?'s picture

RUD is one of my favorite NASA euphemisms..  kinda apt as it discribes nicely what's coming to a financial system near you

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 20:38 | 5675048 AGuy
AGuy's picture

Mission was successful. The Rocket delivered its payload to orbit. This was an experimental landing test to recover the first stage so it can be reused. They pretty much expected this first attempt would fail, but considering the first stage is normall dumped into the sea, it not a failure.

 

 

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 00:31 | 5675650 IndyPat
IndyPat's picture

If there was no intended target beneath it and it assploded, it was a failure.

You a Tesla Salesman or something?

Party pooper.

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 01:26 | 5675738 OldPhart
OldPhart's picture

I'm no Tesla salesman, but the fact that it found the equivalent of a penny in the middle of the ocean is pretty damned impressive. 

Apollo missions landed in the sea and ships would send out helicopters to find the damned thing.

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 01:58 | 5675795 Inexcye Solm
Inexcye Solm's picture

He's done more to advance humanity than your snide comments. +1 Elon

Better luck next time.

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 02:04 | 5675801 roddy6667
roddy6667's picture

Advance humanity???

I have two questions:

1. What are you smoking?

2. Where can I buy some?

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 02:08 | 5675805 Inexcye Solm
Inexcye Solm's picture

More snide comments. Thanks for making my point for me.

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 02:14 | 5675811 Inexcye Solm
Inexcye Solm's picture

Go comment on ESPN. Talk shit about athletes you could never compete against. Your post is the economic and intellectual equivalent.

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 12:40 | 5676555 bullwinkle
bullwinkle's picture

This is zerohedge.  Don't expect any critical thinking just a lot of bitching, moaning and how everyone is either a liar, scammer or idiot.  Elon Musk gets more accomplished in a week than most of these wankers will in a life time.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:25 | 5674870 Publicus
Publicus's picture

.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:28 | 5674876 Hobo Sapien
Hobo Sapien's picture

...and yet, in the late 60's, we were able to use a similar, albeit much more primitive, system to land on the Moon...

...

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:37 | 5674905 General Decline
General Decline's picture

Are you trying to spin this off into a "we never went to the moon" thread?

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:46 | 5674925 Hobo Sapien
Hobo Sapien's picture

Sorry General, I forgot to add, "Just sayin'..."

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 11:02 | 5676305 samcontrol
samcontrol's picture

Personally, i didn,t spin it , I was as F direct as can be!

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:48 | 5674912 fiftybagger
fiftybagger's picture

So it's not so easy landing a rocket eh?  Tee hee.  Yet American derps have believed for 40 plus years that we did so flawlessly many times, on the moon no less.  There's one born every minute.

http://www.nasamoonhoax.com/

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 20:36 | 5675040 cpnscarlet
cpnscarlet's picture

Fucking luddite dweeb. Just because something was above your lousy fifth-grade-and-dropped-out education doesn't mean it's not possible.

Go back to the trailer park shithead.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 22:30 | 5675387 Hobo Sapien
Hobo Sapien's picture

As a rule, I don't respond to posts like this. But I have to say that I like to see how many greens they get; it helps me gauge approximately how many reds I can disregard on my own posts.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 22:38 | 5675403 fiftybagger
fiftybagger's picture

Hit a nerve?  Things you'd rather not think about so you don't?  Things like:

 

- landing rockets

- space radiation

- cooling in a vacuum

Perhaps it is you who needs to get a little educated?  You can start here:

Wagging the Moondoggie

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 23:39 | 5675539 cpnscarlet
cpnscarlet's picture

Of course you hit a nerve - I vomit on people like you who haven't sat through a course in thermodynamics, rocket propulsion, or astrodynamics and think they're fucking experts on what space systems can and can't do.

I was designing satellites while you were probably still poopin' in a diaper.

But to the most basic retort - Consider the number of Americans who worked on the various parts of the Apollo program. If it was all a fake, someone would have come forward by now with hard evidence. Hasn't happened. And now the LRO has given us pictures of the Apollo landing sites.

And still some people believe it was all fake.

But that's OK fiftybagger. I think you're a fake too.

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 00:07 | 5675613 Hobo Sapien
Hobo Sapien's picture

I dunno... he does sound like a scientist or engineer, they vomit on people a lot, famous for it, really.

His links back him... nevermind.

He obviously... aw jeez.

I'm in a playful mood - I'll play LRO, and I'll give you images of Baron Von Munchausen's landing site on the moon, using only a darkroom, no Photoshop.

Thanks 50b for posting links for further inquiry. I'm not certain we landed on the moon. Or didn't. So I'm still learning.

I'll stop feeding the troll now.

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 11:53 | 5676427 samcontrol
samcontrol's picture

go thru the 13 part moondoggie thing...if your add permits you.

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 22:16 | 5678060 Seeing Red
Seeing Red's picture

I skimmed most of it.  Typical self-righteous angry rant (like what I'm doing here but with 1000x as many words).  It has the usual crap arguments regarding secondary lighting and such, which I will address <sigh>.  The Sun is really BRIGHT (esp. with no atmosphere).  The Moon is DARK*.  With camera exposure set for seeing the Moon's surface, an astronaut's white suit acts as a very effective (if accidental) secondary light source, but the overall effect depends on angle and distance.  Get over it folks ....

Here's one gem from the Moondoggie BS site:

"Next up is the massive amount of fuel that will be required to power all of those rockets, for both the ascent and descent stages of the mission. The ascent stage in particular is going to be a bit of a fuel hog, as ascending 69 miles and breaking free of the Moon’s gravity is a formidable challenge, to say the least. Though it may only have 1/6 the gravitational pull of Earth, keep in mind that it is still a force strong enough to create the tides here on Earth, 234,000 miles away."

THAT was funny ... mass & gravity are the same ... just wonderful .... :-D

* The Moon is effectively very dark grey seen from the surface with the Sun near the horizon.  The Sun is so bright that it compensates for the dark grey.  Don't underestimate the relative lighting power of a bulky WHITE suit almost perpendicular to the Sun's rays (on nearby objects).

p.s.  My earlier post below was not directed at Crazy Cooter (nor had I found the treasured Bad Science at the time)

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 11:09 | 5676325 samcontrol
samcontrol's picture

working on parts....you are so fucking funny.

i think you are soooo full of shit. " i was there , type of guy".

Of course no hard evidence on any hoax, anywhere , ever.
and just in case FUCK YOU , retarded tiny assrapped sheeple.

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 13:07 | 5676638 CrazyCooter
CrazyCooter's picture

It is amazing how little our species have actually progressed. The vast majority of the population has now idea how anything around them works. Most technology is actually designed and productionised by a very small segment of the overall population.

Even if public school taught all this stuff, in an introductory way, I still think most people still couldn't keep up.

I eventually reached this conclusion because nature prefers this balance - do you really need a village full of Einstein's sitting around thinking instead of sweating their guts out drag racing mules around the farm so they don't starve to death when winter comes?

Probably for the best, because unless we solve the energy problem, we will be back to mostly substance farming in a few hundred years.

Regards,

Cooter

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 01:45 | 5675762 Seeing Red
Seeing Red's picture

Another closed-minded wacko.  Care to explain the groups of high school kids who bounced lasers off the reflector the astronauts left on the Moon to measure the distance?  Gosh, them and their teachers must have been in on the conspiracy too .... what a maroon.

EDIT:  Your link is crap.  Doesn't even have the bad science arguments that are fun to spot the flaws in.  Take a f**king high school physics course.

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 09:46 | 5676170 Lumberjack
Lumberjack's picture

The proof is right here:

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/expd/7487605302/

 

P.S. Keep Elon away from matches.... 

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 18:31 | 5677507 samcontrol
samcontrol's picture

machinery on the moon , yes.
Human, 250 degrees Celsius in those suits
with an air conditioning working on batteries(1969 version) and no "air " to condition... No.

satellite scientisstsss care to explain?

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 22:32 | 5678171 Seeing Red
Seeing Red's picture

Care to take a high school physics course so we can speak the same language?

FYI, you are correct that machines are significantly easier, particularly with today's technology (but still challenging).

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 12:15 | 5676455 Seize Mars
Seize Mars's picture

cpnscarlet

Wow, luddite, dweeb, lousy fifthgrade dropout, trailer park (is that an insult?), shithead.

That's a high insult density. Remind me never to dare question the status quo around you, I might get insulted.

Strike a nerve or what? How about trying some facts and data, not feelings and impressions.

You know what I really love? The thing about how many people worked on the project - so someone would have squealed if it was shady. Guess what, how many people work in the media? Have they squealed about the obvious fake news they put out? Better yet, how about the Manhattan project - thousands of people worked on this thing, and more than a half a century later, we still don't really have the details on who they were or what the fuck they were doing.

Anyways before you freak out and start calling me names (oh no!) please know that I have taken many many courses in science-y things! So maybe I have some actual formal training in critical thinking! (Gasp!)

Tell me one thing: How do a bunch of humans pass through the "van Allen radiation belts" without lead shielding?

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 15:05 | 5676981 cpnscarlet
cpnscarlet's picture

We all have our "hot button" issues.

To get through the Van Allen belts is a function of TWO things - dose rate and time. The time was very short, therefore the total dose was low. It's that simple. And it doesn't take LEAD to block radiation. Any metal is an attenuator  -some better than others. Aluminum is a shield too. What do you think the electronics cases in that Direct TV satellite you rely on are made of? Lead? It would be too heavy to fly. The cases are thick Aluminum.

Next Question for the Rocket Scientist?

+1000 to Cooter  - most people don't even know how to wire a light bulb.

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 16:29 | 5677205 janus
janus's picture

crapscarlet,

do you know how to 'wire' a light bulb?  i ask because it's an especially queer thing to cite as an ubiquitous defect amongst the masses...and that is because it's an especially difficult thing to do.  you see, mr. rocket scientist, light bulbs aren't 'wired' per se; they are glass globes fused onto a conductive base whose positive and negative polarities are segregated by an insulator; conducting this current flow is a very small wire, encased in glass, traveling to a filament which, acting as a resistor in the circuit, glows whilst displacing the electric energy into heat and light...and that, my good friend, is how a light bulb works.  and, no, there aren't many (you and i included) who can 'wire' a light bulb in their garage (which is why we don't make em at home).  now, where you and i part ways is in their installation; certainly, there are many who cannot screw in a light bulb, and so i must ask you something: are you a pollack?  and if not, how many 'yous' does it take to screw in bulbs around the crapscarlet home?  and, mr. rocket scientist, i do not think your screwing ineptitude a disappointment to mrs. crapscarlet only...america is disappointed in you, too.  and it's my job to show you why.

you wanted questions...now yer gonna git some questions.  

van allen belt:  you really are a nitwit, aren't you (statement, not a question).  did you know that the earth's magnetic core and the resultant lines of flux are what protects organic life on earth from the sun's deadly radiation?  did you know that the van allen belt is not some isolated zone of concentrated solar radiation?  it is instead where the earth's magnetic protection begins to precipitously diminish and then fade to nil; and this means that there is NO protection outside the van allen belt...and, poor fellow, the moon is well beyond this last line of insulation from the sun's radiation.  you see, the moon is wanting when it comes to molten cores radiating lines of magnetic flux, and therefore provides no protection from such...and so, the astronaut's exposure was in no way minimal, it was TOTAL once they'd breached its outer limit.

now, professor, please inform us as to the allowable exposure dosages and the corresponding times therewith; and if it isn't too much for you, give us some specifics.  you cannot just dismiss a serious flaw in the moon landing mythos with glib and patronizing balderdash...well, you can on most of the interwebs, but not on the Hedge, bitch.  you strut around boasting of your science bona fides every time you pop up; and yet, in all this boasting you never once bring hard science into the discussion...only and invariably spouting off pompous nonsense.   we don't give a fuck about your worthless credentials; we are instead interested in the strength of your ideas...and this pathetic and puerile "i'm a scientist/engineer and that's that!" don't cut the mustard.  btw: please, mr. astro-physicist, get to work on some aluminum gowns for our Xray visits...those made of lead are so bulky and cumbersome -- and, obviously, aluminum is perfectly sufficient to the task; in that an Xray only emits a tiny fraction of the harmful radiation found in space.  we know this because you're a 'scientist' and that's all we need to know.  this society's fawning over degrees and credentials is OVER!  

here's a few more questions:

is it not a bit strange that we could, in the late sixties, preform a maneuver in an unfamiliar gravitational environment that we cannot do today on our own planet?  unless you're unaware, we cannot launch a lander from any space station or any other orbiting platform, have it come safely to a rest on earth's surface and then return to the orbiting platform independent of assistance on terra firma.  and we supposedly did this on the moon, on our first go, with a landing module whose sequencing technology was just over 1K in data.  and then, in a few years time, we were scooting about on dune buggies?  can you really be that naive?  you, and people like you, are what make obama et al possible.

can you explain how we made such economical use of rocket fuel on the apollo missions?  it is some kinda 'science' that the required fuel-load for such a mission could not nearly fit on the shuttle, nor for that matter in four more boosters like those jettisoned at lift off -- in fact, the thing would never be able to lift off in the first place if it were freighted with the fuel load required for a flight to and from the moon; but we just made it work anyway.  fuck a buncha maths!  this is amorica; and we don't let little things like that stand in our way...we can just 'sling-shot' our way across the galaxy if needs be. 

fuckin A...p.t. barnum was an idiot!  there's not only a sucker born every minute; it's more like every millisecond. and what's worse, we go and issue them degrees haphazardly. 

i'm gonna get rid of you, crapscarlet...if you cannot speak intelligently about your supposed area of expertise, you are not welcome.  i think i'm gonna make a lil project outta you...make you my bitch, bitch.  

welcome to the thunderdome...and, make no mistake, you've asked for it -- an now you're gonna git it.

still want some more questions?

happy to oblige,

janus

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 16:58 | 5677268 cpnscarlet
cpnscarlet's picture

Oh you're so flippin' smart...

I ain't going anywhere and you just wrote several paragraphs of technical gobbledee goop. Your light bulb paragraph alone is a testament to trailer park trash who know some fancy words and it makes them "all knowing". I won't even bother to explain how wrong you are about solar wind, van Allen charging, and the difference between the two.

As far as fuel use - HELL YES I can explain how the Apollo missions used it so efficiently...it's called "free return trajectory" and "lunar orbit rendezvous" coupled with the fact that less than 1% of the original vehicle mass was returned to earth. But for you to UNDERSTAND this shit would take, AS I HAVE SAID, several years of hard study in a REAL space systems curriculum - something I doubt you'd have the brain convulutions for.

You don't inimidate me one bit you GD poser, two-faced Janus. One face an idiot, the other a cynic.

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 17:22 | 5677315 Seize Mars
Seize Mars's picture

crapscarlet

Jesus are you really upset, that your first reaction is ad hominem? The fake Moon missions are so important to you that it's insult time? Ok, fuckhead, start thinking with your head here. The fuel load on the "Space" Shuttle is the same as an Apollo mission. That's ok, the government told me it's ok? There is absolutely no way to be shielded from the radiation "out there" unless you've got lead shielding. Go ahead try to get an X-ray on your knee and tell them that some aluminum foil would be alright.

Trailer park trash, nice. I'm fairly certain, nah, I'm really certain - that my net worth is larger than yours, but I've never, ever referred to anyone lower on the ladder as "trash." But you have. So that kind of makes you a douche. Go ahead, keep wondering why your life sucks. Then start thinking about the way you treat people. Connection?

Anyways fuck off, your engineering has no "medicine" as the Native Americans used to say. And it's obvious.

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 18:26 | 5677489 samcontrol
samcontrol's picture

but but he was there!!! oh sorry , this one builds satellites and is a space expert..

tell me more satellite scientistssss, Enlighten me on SH , 9/11 , or Boston Bs?

I sweat i am waiting for the day somebody tells me he actually hit the pentagon or building seven. Every single american that believes the Bs seems to be from NY.

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 21:03 | 5678052 janus
janus's picture

oh yeah, captain science, on a relative basis, contrasting our respective intellects, i am indeed so flippin smart...smart enough to chew you up and spit you out.

my light bulb paragraph was a demonstration that a moron pretending to be an engineer doesn't know what wiring is...and i'm glad you now know.  

of course you won't bother to explain anything; your strategy is to simply toss shit against a wall and hope some of it sticks.  i not only didn't expect an explanation from you, i knew none would be forthcoming.  you're a geritol fart whose odor has lingered around here far too long; time you go wafting away to huffpo where you belong.

let me explain something to you: insults are not an acceptable substitute for substance.  

no you cannot explain fuel use; you've instead done what you accused of me (only in a wantonly insipid fashion) -- inserting technical jargon in an attempt to blinker readers and sway the debate with fancy sounding terminology.  i'm very familiar with nasa's 'free return trajectory' -- that's what i was referring to with the 'sling-shot' comment.  'free return trajectory' is nasa's equivalent of a perpetual motion machine.  sorry, bitch, an object at rest tends to stay at rest unless acted upon by an outside force.  and, btw, did the landing module get some 'return trajectory' from the moon's surface back up to the orbiter?

so you're in effect saying that the same fuel load required to get us to lower earth orbit is sufficient to make it to the moon and back?  even with the magical force of 'free return trajectory' behind it this is an absurd claim.  did you know that it's less than 200 miles into lower earth orbit and that the total distance traveled in these farces ranged to well over a million miles?  now, i'd try and explain the difference between 200 and a million for you, but for you to "UNDERSTAND" this shit would take some third grade mathematics.  something for which you obviously lack the capacity and/or interest.  

and you are correct, i haven't anything in the way of brain convulsions (btw, you badly misspelled convulsions...guess you were suffering one of your many episodes); and, poor fella, if you are experiencing brain convulsions, i'd recommend you have them investigated immediately.  moreover, they are nothing to boast about...like your credentials. 

if i don't intimidate you yet, i will very soon.  and it isn't so much that i want to intimidate you, i'm going to destroy you.  you, little one, are way out of your depth.  it's not two-facedness; it's seeing all at once -- a cure for the all-too common case of myopia; something that, much like brain convulsions, you seem to be suffering an acute case of.

now, i'll ask you again for some science.  since when did 'free return trajectory' overcome that pesky force of gravity?  ya kinda need propulsion to overcome it, and propulsion requires fuel.  and you've still done nothing to explain how radiation is suspended when nasa demands.  

are you not ashamed of yourself?  you stomp about shouting like some petulant child, waving your plastic badge around hoping we'll all be impressed with your station...nobody's impressed.  it's sad, really.  you've made it to an advanced age and you have little to no recognition of your inferiority.  you're like that little wiener dog that goes charging at the doberman, yappin up a fury.  who knows, perhaps you're able to get away with this among your relations...perhaps they pity the old fool in his dotage boasting about his past, aware that he hasn't any future.  and, that's sweet of your relations to humor you...but, let's be honest, what do you think they say when you leave the room?  maybe they say nothing at all; just giggle knowingly -- knowing that crapscarlet is up to his ways, and it don't hurt anyone to just let him prattle on.

prattle no more, you withered old fool!  

janus

Mon, 01/19/2015 - 18:29 | 5681363 Hobo Sapien
Hobo Sapien's picture

janus - I have to acknowledge art and skill when I see it. I tend to avoid conflict if possible; my style of choice is aikido, though I've also studied "hard" styles. But this was fun to witness. "Well done, that man!"

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:57 | 5674950 Tall Tom
Tall Tom's picture

The speeds of a Lunar Module in a Moon Landing and the weight of the craft were much different.

 

Furthermore there is no atmosphere on the Moon to deal with.

 

That makes that task one hell of a lot simpler.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 20:48 | 5675093 Sokhmate
Sokhmate's picture

With a joystick, never the less

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 21:42 | 5675267 booboo
booboo's picture

Humus gravity is a bit more unforgiving than Luna.

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 16:06 | 5677161 TMLutas
TMLutas's picture

These stages are the equivalent of the lunar lander practice vehicle. Instead of building specific hardware to practice landing a 1st stage, they're tacking on experimental packages to the first stage of profitable launches. This drives the R&D cost way down because most of the hardware is already paid for by the satellite launch. 

In the Apollo era the purpose built hardware was called LLRV (two were built) and LLTV (three were built).  Of the five practice vehicles, we lost three of them. Fortunately, we lost no pilots. 

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 16:07 | 5677162 TMLutas
TMLutas's picture

These stages are the equivalent of the lunar lander practice vehicle. Instead of building specific hardware to practice landing a 1st stage, they're tacking on experimental packages to the first stage of profitable launches. This drives the R&D cost way down because most of the hardware is already paid for by the satellite launch. 

In the Apollo era the purpose built hardware was called LLRV (two were built) and LLTV (three were built).  Of the five practice vehicles, we lost three of them. Fortunately, we lost no pilots. 

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:59 | 5674954 XenoFrog
XenoFrog's picture

Before the landing SpaceX said it was a 50/50 shot. The failure is hardly the embarrassment that some portray it to be.

Oh, and often you learn more from a failure like this than you can a success.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 20:43 | 5675067 OpenThePodBayDoorHAL
OpenThePodBayDoorHAL's picture

You have to admit it looked like it got pretty close, not bad for a first try.

Though I wouldn't want to be one of Richard Branson's passengers at the top of that thing

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 21:06 | 5675156 JuliaS
JuliaS's picture

- I've good and bad news for you.

- Let's hear the bad.

- Your lawyer loses 99 out of 100 cases he takes.

- What's the good news?

- He already lost 99.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 20:28 | 5675024 AGuy
AGuy's picture

Well, it was a test and done at night and in poor weather. Considering that it was close to the target (Floating barge off the coast). its a pretty decent first attempt.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 21:00 | 5675122 Ralph Spoilsport
Ralph Spoilsport's picture

The rocket apparently ran out of hydraulic fluid, not fuel, as some are saying here. There is no reported mechanical failure either. The next test will have 50% more hydraulic fluid, which begs the question, what's happening to all the hydraulic fluid? Hydraulics are usually a closed system so is something leaking or is it part of the design? He'll probably nail it the next attempt since all the really hard stuff has been accomplished.

http://www.space.com/28236-spacex-rocket-landing-hydraulic-fluid.html

I don't get all the negativity towards Musk on this. Sure it's fun to mock the Tesla catching on fire but NASA has never attempted to have a rocket 1st stage booster land itself after use. This is a big deal in technical circles but apparently not in the financial world.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 23:18 | 5675494 Stuck on Zero
Stuck on Zero's picture

There is probably no hydraulic pump.  Just a large, pressurized air over fluid accumulator.  The hydraulic fluid, probably vegetable oil, dumps on the ground from the unpressurized side of the hydraulic cylinders since it cannot re-enter the accumulator. A clever approach.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 23:38 | 5675545 Ralph Spoilsport
Ralph Spoilsport's picture

So it's part of the design. Why vegetable oil? Not as flammable as hydraulic fluid?  Thanks.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 23:47 | 5675571 GMadScientist
GMadScientist's picture

Could also be an issue with the behavior of said hydraulics under flight (e.g. massive temp changes); closed systems probably don't like that. All solvable problems though and I'm sure they will.

I think the Musk-bashing is more about him being affixed to Obama's joint and eating the gubmint cheezits than anything technical, mixed in with a dash of comma-envy.

 

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:16 | 5674856 Sudden Debt
Sudden Debt's picture

Bmw’s electric series are selling like cookies and now with their Bmw x6I, they have the first 4x4 electric car.

And the I8 is about the coolest car on the planet right now.

Tesla’s are passé

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:26 | 5674873 knukles
knukles's picture

Expensive toys for the top 5 or 10%
Brought to you courtesy of untold subsidies, grants, under the table deals, campaign contributions and the like

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:32 | 5674893 WillyGroper
WillyGroper's picture

You do mean tax payers, don't you?

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:42 | 5674917 knukles
knukles's picture

Yessireee, I sure do.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 20:33 | 5675034 cpnscarlet
cpnscarlet's picture

I'd rather subsidize space hardware than everyone else' healthcare.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 21:30 | 5675235 Double.Eagle.Gold
Double.Eagle.Gold's picture

fuck-it

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 04:25 | 5675921 patb
patb's picture

1) The life cycle cost of an EV is a pretty good deal.

 

2) The long haul trend is battery is getting cheaper.  An EV will soon be cheaper then a Gas car.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 20:16 | 5674988 negative rates
negative rates's picture

Yea but that shit costs money, what the hell you got for free?

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:45 | 5674921 junction
junction's picture

Even more destructive is the Obummer RUD event on Election Day.  Watch as he single-handedly implodes the Democratic Party.  Following the implosion example of his CIA backers, who blew up the World Trade Center and still will vaporize any eyewitness who claims to have heard massive explosions with the WTC buildings on 9/11.  Big money is at stake, Senator Feinstein (who made some $250 million from the Iraqi military construction projects she okayed for her family owned construction companies) is now going to be a billionaire, thanks to the U.S. Postal Service selling her husband's firm numerous large Post Office buildings, then leasing them back for super high rents.  Everyone who buys a postage stamp or who walks with a prosthetic limb from war injuries has helped enrich Feinstein. 

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 20:19 | 5674998 rubiconsolutions
rubiconsolutions's picture

It's landing just like the Euro.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:08 | 5674836 Manthong
Manthong's picture

If at first you don't succeed...

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:15 | 5674855 Skateboarder
Skateboarder's picture

The gubbamin will subsidize you.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:24 | 5674866 Urban Roman
Urban Roman's picture

It's Putin's fault.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:24 | 5674867 kaiserhoff
kaiserhoff's picture

Only if you are Green,

    or Black, or wear pink panties...

    I need a drink.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:26 | 5674875 knukles
knukles's picture

Hi sweetie!

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:44 | 5674898 kaiserhoff
kaiserhoff's picture

You're having way too much fun here, knuks,

  They're gonna double your subscription price;)

 

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:47 | 5674924 knukles
knukles's picture

They're gonna double my prescription price? 

Many years ago had a fantasy about winning "Super Market Sweep."  (I also loved the Gong Show, BTW) 
Everybody always used to go to the meat counter, booze, etc.
Not me.  I figured I'd go to the pharmacy and pick up all the Ativan and Marinol I could get my hands on.
Then I'd go to the meat counter, etc.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 21:39 | 5675263 lotsoffun
lotsoffun's picture

bang for buck and weight?  razor blades.  and pharms.

 

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 22:53 | 5675436 Karaio
Karaio's picture

Let us be clear.

Tesla is an expensive shit, indecently expensive.

His rockets are third-rate, are unable to send a monkey to ISS by the way, the US module fucked leak of ammonia, which saved the three women and two guys was the Russian module.

There is no way to reinvent the wheel.

hehe.

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 01:37 | 5675763 OldPhart
OldPhart's picture

All I know is that it's pretty fuckin' cool to get a check from "The Spaceship Company".

We sell steel to them.

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 16:54 | 5677257 TMLutas
TMLutas's picture

Yes, they're still going through the paperwork of man rating dragon v2. I believe the module was built by Boeing. So what's you're point besides being a metaphorical monkey flinging metaphorical poo. 

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:28 | 5674872 ZerOhead
ZerOhead's picture

It would have been cheaper to disassemble the rocket in China...

 

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:54 | 5674935 Tall Tom
Tall Tom's picture

YOU ARE SO WRONG. SpaceX's policy is that ANY and ALL Cost Overruns will be absorbed by the company.

 

If Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Orbital Sciences, Thiokol, and United Launch Alliance were to do that then those companies would be BANKRUPT and the Government coffers quite a bit fatter.

 

This type of recovery has not ever been accomplished in real time. It is still in experimental mode. Most rockets engines are just used one time and subsequently burn up in the Upper Atmosphere. They are not recovered to be reused. Musk will be the first to do it...with a Rocket and NOT a Spaceplane as the Space Shuttle was.

 

Forty Five Degrees obviously was not a planned optimal approach. My preliminary analysis was that two retrorocket boosters were underpowered.

 

If there is any criticism that Musk deserves is that he runs his systems to the extreme edges of tolerances. There is little safety margin.

 

That Rocket "Failure" did SUCCESSFULLY deliver the Dragon Unmanned Space Vehicle to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Following that the Dragon has docked with the International Space Station and restocked the crew with vital supplies of Air, Water, Food and Equipment.

 

CURRENTLY...Musk's SpaceX has been delivering payloads to LEO for substantially less expense than any other Launch Vehicle from any other Nation...like in the neighborhood of 50% to 60% less expense.

 

Successful recovery of those booster will decrease the costs from $4000 per pound to LEO to about $1000 per pound to LEO.

 

For everybody else it costs $10,000 per pound to LEO. Most USA Aerospace firms along with China, Russia, India and Japan cannot even begin to compete against this.

 

Remarkably Musk is using strictly American Labor in American Factories and is still able to smash his competition...and in this case a Rocket.

 

Go SpaceX...onward to Mars. He will do it cheaper and quicker than NASA. He is planning that after all. Yes. Privatized Space Exploration, the Libertarian dream.

 

And you guys are so fucking ignorant you unfairly smash that.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:58 | 5674955 jcaz
jcaz's picture

LOL- if you think that Elon is funding this on his own dime,  you're as delusional as he is....

Oh wait- he's laughing his way to the bank-  delusion is always very well funded in this country.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 20:10 | 5674965 Tall Tom
Tall Tom's picture

He has the COTS Contracts. He is paid to deliver payload.

 

He is funding this on his own dime.

 

He sells launch services and can beat anybody on costs. He makes a lot of cash doing it. Where do those profits go? Right back into his company.

 

If I can deliver payload for $5000 per pound and someone, like the US Government, is paying me well over $10,000 per pound to do it and if a Mission costs 100 Million what do you think that my Gross Profit is?

 

What have you done?

 

Jealous?

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 20:15 | 5674987 deeply indebted
deeply indebted's picture

"He," "He," "His dime"?? What the fuck is wrong with you? NO! Absolutely, NO! It's on the "investors" dime, and it's on MY dime when the government subsidizes this nonsense of trying to reinvent the wheel. Did WE or did WE NOT land on the moon and come back 40 fucking years ago?? What the fuck is wrong now that we can't even land on a barge?

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 20:19 | 5674999 DaddyO
DaddyO's picture

<-What the fuck is wrong now that we can't even land on a barge?->

Uhh, Something called Gravity...

DaddyO

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 20:55 | 5675096 ChiangMai
ChiangMai's picture

And atmosphere.

I'm no rocket scientist but I'd guess that doing this in a vacuum is much easier than dealing with the vagaries of an atmosphere.

Then there's the difference in weight and the balance issues between that spindly little piece of crap that landed on the moon and a booster rocket as tall as a 20-story building.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 23:34 | 5675533 deeply indebted
deeply indebted's picture

Of course. Bad bad entirely. Gravity and atmosphere are obviously two things we have absolutely no experience with what-so-ever. Thanks for that incredible (if only incredibly asinine) insight.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 21:16 | 5675192 billwilson
billwilson's picture

You sir are about as ignorant as you can get. 

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 21:31 | 5675239 Double.Eagle.Gold
Double.Eagle.Gold's picture

ah...., fuck u to...

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 03:31 | 5675875 IronForge
IronForge's picture

I used to be a Naval Contracting Officer - as well as a  Production Control Officer and Director to Govt Engineers at a Defense Aerospace Plant.

"Cost Overruns" are "built" into the Contract Px to a certain degree - especially to cover milestones.  One of the factors in determining Contract Pricing for large scale Govt Programs with higher than average Risk.

Considering he has allegedly "borrowed" several proven design/concepts (from the real pioneers of the Space Race), R&D for a cheap LEO Lifter may have been manageable once they obtained the Initial Contract.

That being said, some firms can "absorb" cost overruns; but it sounds like the Accountants will pull something off so any overruns may be absorbed down the road via the Main/Subsequent Service Contracts until a windfall can be made via their IPO (Hint: they're not launching stuff every month).  String Pulling and Subsidies Hoarding shall continue.  

Kinda like a Dell - skimp on R&D at first, sell popular/profitable models at bulk while quick and nimble - making the Large, High End guys with big R&D Budgets(using this analogy, BA, NOC LMT, EADSY) Pay for it.  Good for quick Profits as long as you keep your Mfg and Service QA up (which they didn't by off-shoring Call Centers).  Several people I know worked for Dell.  I have to say that I miss the days HP made respectable Workstations and Chips (I disdain what Fiorina did to the Firm and the Packard Family)... 

Tribe Haters, you can insert your "Hey, they're both members of the same Tribe" comments; but to be fair, they do fit a pattern.  On the other hand - after reading a good deal on Politics and Banking by Tribe Members of the Neocon and other Factions, I think people froms several industries may become annoyed to see SpaceX and Tesla hog up the subsidies with the aide of the Media Spin and the obsequious Treehugger FanClubs. 

Taking a look at Better Place (Moving most ops to ISR after much support from the USA, NED, and Renault) as it sprung up quickly, yet burned all its Money may be a path Tesla (and SpaceX) may be on (watch other CarCos start diverting Treehugger Credits AWAY from Tesla).  Is it wrongful to abandon Countries which supported you?  After I read an article regarding a problem with Better Place in NED, makes you think. 

I can only speak for myself - I made sure my Partners and Clients fared well.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 20:00 | 5674956 Tall Tom
Tall Tom's picture

You can junk this post from here to high Heaven or to the depths of Hell.

 

It will not change the facts.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 21:30 | 5675241 Double.Eagle.Gold
Double.Eagle.Gold's picture

fuck ya!!

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 22:42 | 5675420 Karaio
Karaio's picture

Let us be clear.

Tesla is an expensive shit, indecently expensive.

His rockets are third-rate, are unable to send a monkey to ISS by the way, the US module fucked leak of ammonia, which saved the three women and two guys was the Russian module.

There is no way to reinvent the wheel.

hehe.

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 00:14 | 5675620 sundancer
sundancer's picture

Totally agree with you about the uninformed comments here about Elon Musk - really makes me wonder if Zerohedge has a future if it attracts nothing but knuckledraggers

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 21:16 | 5678095 combatsnoopy
combatsnoopy's picture

um dipshit, they have to COMPETE for that money?  Its' called a "contract".  

SpaceX put it's name in the hat too.  Don't kid yourself.  Why fund EVERYTHING yourself when you don't have to?   I'm sure you can create derivatives based on his new begotten wealth to finance the project on his own ownership to debt plan. 

I do think that the rich have no incentive to innovate and their money would be better used as investors.... the dude Musk "read a book".  That's his "expertise".  He has money- fine.  He's got help- somewhat. 

He CAN spread his wealth by pissing off people who called out Tesla by creating an expensive project with more arrogant toads to put metal on Mars to keep himself entertained- because that seems to be the innovative point to this apparently.  

As long as the taxpayers don't have to bail him out when things don't just simply work out.  

He was a priveledged trust fund brat in an apartheid country who was at least smart enough to make good of his basic science education.

But coming from someone who actually cleared up her own endocrine problems WITH SCIENCE and not the doctors- SCIENCE IS VERY HARD STUFF.    It doesn't matter how rich you are, how smart you are, how well raised you are---like calculus and physics; science will always be hard.  No matter how successful you are.   Reading a book doesn't mean your project is going to work out. 

That's just the way the cookie crumbles.  

You want proven engineers with a work ethic and he has access to CalTech, UCSB and Stanford.  He hired assholes on his no asshole policy.  He wants to be a rock star, not a CEO.   
He has no excuse.  :)  

 

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:18 | 5674858 profchaos
profchaos's picture

If at first you don't succeed... give up and buy gold?

 

Still trying to figure out what passes for a commendable manufacturing business or business leader in the zerohedge worldview.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:29 | 5674878 knukles
knukles's picture

Firearms, ammo, gold, silver, your ISP so you can be here, Tyler and crew....
Pochantas and Mike for humor....
Lots a stuff

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 20:03 | 5674959 DaddyO
DaddyO's picture

Knucks, you are on fire my friend...

What got your motor running on all eight tonight?

DaddyO

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 20:17 | 5674983 knukles
knukles's picture

Hellooooooo my brother.
I've no idea other than had a hyper productive week.  Good spiritual contact of late.  Helped some other folks (Y'all know the drill)
Golf all set for tomorrow and Monday with son and buds, post meetings...
Not bad right now, all thanks to some Blessings.
Be well, DaddyO

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 21:33 | 5675245 Double.Eagle.Gold
Double.Eagle.Gold's picture

fucking golf, all my clubs R bent.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:09 | 5674840 deeply indebted
deeply indebted's picture

"Exciting day!" Indeed, Musk...indeed. Idiots hardly need an excuse to say something idiotic I suppose. I further suppose that his idiotic faithful worshipers will just give him more money anyway.. If this is America's future, I can't really say with any conviction that I even want to be a part of it anymore.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:10 | 5674841 localizer
localizer's picture

I've seen folks badmouthing Musk here, but at least the guy has a vision and produces something REAL unlike the other oligarchs who can just print money, sell junk paper and generally produce nothing but misery...

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:14 | 5674847 deeply indebted
deeply indebted's picture

Sure he makes something "real." Real POINTLESS, real EXPENSIVE, and really REALLY full of HYPE! I have more respect for Ben fucking Bernanke than I have for this scamming overhyped full of shit retard.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:32 | 5674888 localizer
localizer's picture

I was just talking about the general principle of someone producing stuff aka real manufacturing that creates jobs, how is that pointless? Expensive - as far as Tesla is concerned I guess so (but alternatives are not much cheaper anyway), yet this SpaceX thing, isn't it actually cheaper than the alternatives? Hype - well, that is something that's created by the media I guess..

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 20:21 | 5674994 GeorgeWKush
GeorgeWKush's picture

It's the smart and creative oligarchs, those who have visions and invent real stuff, that can also be the most dangerous. Not that Musk and electric cars freaks me out, but more like those creeps running Google. Maybe its just my somewhat irrational fear for future techs shining through here.

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 00:47 | 5675679 IndyPat
IndyPat's picture

It blew up.
We talking broken windows, here?

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:34 | 5674895 Fix-ItSilly
Fix-ItSilly's picture

You don't know what you are talking about.  SpaceX is a fraction of the cost of the Boeing/Lockheed alternative, made in USA and delivering excellent engineering advancement instead of fat cat retreads.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:37 | 5674903 deeply indebted
deeply indebted's picture

Blowing up is an "excellent engineering advancemet?" Yeah. Fine. So go "invest" in it! Who's stopping you?

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 20:17 | 5674992 Solarman
Solarman's picture

Were you born stupid, or acquired it posting here?  This was the very first attempt at landing a booster rocket on a ship for full reuse.  They already figured out the problem (not enough fuel for the stabilizers), and it is already engineered into the next booster.  

 

This is cutting edge stuff, and when he figures it out, we can cut out the Russians, and our Defense contractors profits.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 20:45 | 5675074 deeply indebted
deeply indebted's picture

"Were you born stupid, or acquired it posting here?"

At this point, I'm leaning towards having it acquired it here. I can't believe the number of idiots posting here about how wonderful, visionary, and genius this Musk fellow is. Hollywood is no longer the driver of propaganda - instead, we have main stream media and "innovators" (of what I would ask) to tell us what we should do with our money and to tell us just exactly why it's so "awesome." It looks like it's working (yes, even someone as "stupid" as myself can see that!).

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 21:35 | 5675249 Double.Eagle.Gold
Double.Eagle.Gold's picture

fuck yo moma yo cocksucking bitch

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:16 | 5674854 timeless21
timeless21's picture

+1 better than fb or twitter as well, not something virtual with inflated stock prices

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 21:01 | 5675140 JuliaS
JuliaS's picture

Are those the only alternatives?

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:30 | 5674880 jcaz
jcaz's picture

Did he?  Taxpayer subsidized electric car that won't even catch a whiff of turning a profit for another 5 years minimum...

Oh, but he DID figure out how to flip tax credits for a profit- so he's got that going for him.

Don't let facts get in the way of your man-love, tho-  Elon is hawt......

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:45 | 5674923 freedogger
freedogger's picture

Yeah at least he is trying and not just taking it easy with his PayPal wind fall. And shit it hit the platform on the first try, that's pretty cool. Most CEO's wouldn't have even shown that video.

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:28 | 5674879 Boomberg
Boomberg's picture

Seems I recall NASA had a few mishaps just getting off the launchpad in the 60s and a few when landing in the ocean. Shit happens when trying new things. Critics should try it sometime. 

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 20:20 | 5674996 snblitz
snblitz's picture

What did Mr. Musk do that is new?

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:29 | 5674882 holdbuysell
holdbuysell's picture

As long as Uncle Sam (and thus the sheople) keep paying his bills and making him rich with the skim from his science projects, what's the problem? /s

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:31 | 5674885 B2u
B2u's picture

Kinda looks like a Tesla catching fire....

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:32 | 5674887 Fix-ItSilly
Fix-ItSilly's picture

On a shoestring budget, and with the establishment seeking every opportunity to drown the company, SpaceX has delivered incredible engineering and operational performance.

NASA should be disbanded and SpaceX should be allowed to cherry pick its few valuable assets.

What SpaceX sought to do here is a work in progress with important operational benefits.  NASA chose to waste its rockets after a single use.  Boeing and Lockheed now just rip off the American public by billing outrageous fees while subcontracting launches to Russia.

Go SpaceX!

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:37 | 5674902 stant
stant's picture

Obviously a major malfunction. Copy

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:48 | 5674927 kaiserhoff
kaiserhoff's picture

Maybe.

How many insurance policies did they have?

(No matter how cynical I get, I can't keep up)

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 20:15 | 5674990 knukles
knukles's picture

Oh come on, Kaiser.
Just close your eyes and think as in a dream
Deep state of mind
You're walking into a splendid boudoir
And waiting there for you in the finest of silks is ....

 

.... Mike

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:50 | 5674932 holdbuysell
Sat, 01/17/2015 - 19:54 | 5674939 roadhazard
roadhazard's picture

I would invest in Elon Musk if I were young. This guy is making it happen, he's not just some poster on a message board making smart ass comments. 

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 20:04 | 5674961 jcaz
jcaz's picture

So if you're old, why worry?   50 more years won't see Elon returning any more money to shareholders than he'll return this year-

The mans' gift is using your money and making you feel good about it-  pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.....

Sat, 01/17/2015 - 20:29 | 5675026 lakecity55
lakecity55's picture

He could become the father of commercial space flight.

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 06:45 | 5675145 JuliaS
JuliaS's picture

Nothing's keeping you for giving him money today, unless by "young" you imply "stupid".

Sun, 01/18/2015 - 00:52 | 5675686 IndyPat
IndyPat's picture

Smart ass comments are cheaper and don't explode.

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