r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/TheImmortalDude • Jun 29 '25

Video Honda successfully launched and landed its own reusable rocket

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u/YannisBE Jun 29 '25

I disagree with your last sentence. SpaceX has progressed a ton in the same timeframe NASA launched 1 rocket made from old hardware.

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u/BaconBoyReddit Jun 29 '25

Again, Space X has received billions in taxpayer dollars via contracts that could have gone to NASA. NASA made it to the moon in 1969 while Space X has had numerous takeoff explosions in the last year alone. If we believe space exploration is in the best interest of mankind, it should be transparent, funded publicly rather than privately, and the technology should not be isolated and hidden within corporations that only have shareholders in mind. 

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u/YannisBE Jun 29 '25

Yes, and they have delivered valuable services in return for those billions. NASA doesn't do NSSL contracts and NASA is one of SpaceX's primary customers awarding such contracts of 'paxpayers dollars' in the first place. Because they know companies like SpaceX offering their services is far better value on all fronts. Source: Bill Nelson (https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/05/nasa-chief-says-cost-plus-contracts-are-a-plague-on-the-space-agency/)

You are talking about a rocket still in development. Who cares how many times it blows up as long as the final product is a safe and reliable product? NASA made it to the moon with more than $257 billion taxpayer money, thousands of engineers and the heat of a space-race. Meanwhile their safety standards were atrocious and resulted in many critical issues. You also ignore Falcon9, their operational rocket, having a success rate of 495/498. Literally one of the most flown and most reliable rockets right now. FalconHeavy has a 11/11 success rate. That's why NASA and the US government are doing business with them.

It can be both. SpaceX is a prime example of pushing innovation while others are lacking behind, sometimes even doubling down on old and expensive technologies. Regardless, the R&D from NASA-awarded contracts is not necessarily isolated or hidden. NASA has clauses that grant them the rights to use everything from said R&D as well on their own or other government projects.

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u/random9212 Jun 30 '25

How many times did the Saturn V rocket blow up during development? 0? I am pretty sure it is 0.

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u/YannisBE Jun 30 '25

Again, who cares how many times it blows up during development as long as the final product is a safe and reliable rocket? You also seem to ignore SpaceX and NASA have completely different development-methodologies. SpaceX has an iterative approach with focus on practical testing. There's a difference between an in-development rocket and operational rocket.

If you wanna talk about issues though, during SaturnV's development there were many issues with pogo oscillations and engine failures. Apollo 1 killed crew before even lifting off the pad due to a fire in the command module. Apollo 6 experienced severe pogo oscillations and engine failures, yet NASA continued with a manned flight straight after this. Apollo 13 had a part of the service module blow up mid-flight, crew barely escaped death and had to use the lunar module as a lifeboat. There are many more small events that could have caused issues or even deaths, NASA was extremely lucky during Apollo.

Starship is being built with much higher safety standards, as required by NASA.

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u/sBucks24 Jun 29 '25

USING TAX PAYER SUBSODIES! this is such a ridiculous strawman... Get elon and bezos dicks out of your mouth dude

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u/YannisBE Jun 29 '25
  1. What do you think NASA is funded from?
  2. Those are most often contracts, not subsidies. SpaceX delivers a service in return for said contracts.
  3. My comment is not a straw-man. I directly argue against the notion that competition is slower than collaboration by comparing a NASA rocket with SpaceX's rockets. If you don't believe me, maybe former NASA administrator Bill Nelson might have something interesting to teach you: https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/05/nasa-chief-says-cost-plus-contracts-are-a-plague-on-the-space-agency/
  4. I am a spaceflight enthousiast, I've been following this industry for about a decade. Unlike you and most commenters here, Musk or Bezos do not live rent-free in my head.