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from the government-efficiency-vs-private-enterprise-disruption dept.
Europe is starting to freak out about the launch dominance of SpaceX:
A little more than a week ago, the European Space Agency[(ESA)] announced an initiative to study "future space transportation solutions." Basically, the agency provided about $600,000, each, to three companies—ArianeGroup, Avio, and Rocket Factory Augsburg—to study competitive launch systems from 2030 onward.
[...] there now appears to be increasing concern in Europe that the Ariane 6 and Vega-C rockets will not be competitive in the launch market of the near future. This is important, because while member states of the European Space Agency pay for development of the rockets, after reaching operational status, these launch programs are expected to become self-sufficient by attracting commercial satellite launches to help pay the bills.
Economic ministers in France and Italy have now concluded that the launch market has changed dramatically since 2014, when the Ariane 6 and Vega-C rockets were first designed. According to a report in Le Figaro newspaper, the ministers believe the ability of these new European rockets to compete for commercial launch contracts has significantly deteriorated since then.
It would seem that ESA's payback plan didn't expect an agile competitor to disrupt the entire market with efficiencies that governments seem unable to match. But, there's more.
SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet in talks for a place in the UK’s $6.9 billion ‘Project Gigabit’:
Elon Musk’s SpaceX is in talks with the United Kingdom for the company’s Starlink satellite unit to potentially earn funding as a part of the government’s new $6.9 billion internet infrastructure program, CNBC confirmed.
(Score: 4, Funny) by Rich on Wednesday March 24 2021, @09:44AM (5 children)
"Europe" today pretty much means that France either notices their southern regions are unsustainable, or wants to play world power once more, or both. Gemany then pays for a huge new industrial development in the South of France (e.g. Airbus, ITER, ST, ...). France dishes out little sub-contracts all over the EU, from Finland to Greece, and everyone is happy. Except for the Italians, who feel short changed (despite owning more per-person than Germany), yell "Horrible Nazis!", and get their few-billion-extra deal. Then the next round can commence. (Also note where the companies provided with the 600k grant sit, you guessed it, France, Italy, Germany, listed in that order).
But, to quote our late, great MDC, "I said that like it is a bad thing": The French seem to be the only ones to have an inner power left to bring anything forward. Germany sits around impotent and paralyzed, and rocketry is the sector where that is probably worst, Italy is lazy as usual (unless brought in line by a Duce, and no, Berlusconi didn't cut it), England is out (and devastated from the long-term effects of the Thatcher sell-outs anyway), and the other countries are too small.
To give you an idea, of how actively self-denying the Germans are, have a look a the websites of http://www.ksb.com/ [ksb.com] and http://www.meiller.com/ [meiller.com]. Can you figure out from them what absolutely groundbreaking achievements these companies delivered to modern rocketry and to start the spacefaring age?
The "Rocket Factory Augsburg" might be interesting. They present themselves in a SpaceX style, seem to be not held down by old governmental-industrial ties and aim to be cost-competitive. If they manage some sort of recovery, they might pull something off. (Note if interest: While they point out that people 25 nations work for them (for that super-diverse claim), they don't have any Americans or Russians on the map of their origins. Looks like someone took care of at least a bit of strategic planning.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 24 2021, @12:04PM (4 children)
I don't know how relevant any of these companies are. Maybe it would be better to link things like
https://www.bosch.com/stories/artificial-intelligence-space-flight/ [bosch.com]
It's also amusing how you want to beat on some policies in one area just because SpaceX. SpaceX is NOT a product of 'American inventiveness'. It's a product of out-of-the-box thinking of a South African-Canadian immigrant that was at the right place at the right time multiple times and bet enough of his money to make a difference. SpaceX accomplishments are a gift to mankind and let's hope that ESA learns what direction now they need to focus on to be competitive. The commercial launch market is dead and that's a good thing. Now it's time to accept this reality and move forward.
It may also be noted that Germany has geared for medium-business supremacy. Niche products done well. That's how they managed to almost monopolize the ICE engine market. Or SAP being another example. Don't underestimate this trait.
It's fine if ESA supports them. But they will have problems competing. The primary reason is SpaceX goal is no longer to be a launch company. Their goal is GET YOUR ASS TO MARS! And Musk has enough competitive advantage over everyone now that he can sponge up the entire launch market for lunch money and use the satellite ISP business to finance the rest. And Tesla is just showing off :-)
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Rich on Wednesday March 24 2021, @12:09PM (2 children)
I firmly believe Musk only starts companies that make stuff he will need on Mars (E-Cars, Solar, Boring). I think he wouldn't even care much if Tesla goes down because it gets outcompeted by a good number of other electric car manufacturers - he could then simply pick his Mars vehicles from a large commercial selection kept cheap by competition. That we get a total mobility shift from ICEs to electric is just a side effect of that.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by oumuamua on Wednesday March 24 2021, @02:33PM (1 child)
A lot of the confusing design decisions of the cyber truck start making a lot of sense when you think of a design that will work on Mars; pressurized cab, slight radiation shielding.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 25 2021, @12:36AM
I've been wondering if anyone looked at the Cybertruck's design and looking into if the origami folding technique had been used anywhere on the Starship or related spacecraft. I assumed given they were both stainless steel construction that may have been the purpose of the cybertruck, and the other benefits of it were secondary to make it sufficently marketable so as to pay for itself.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 24 2021, @09:42PM
smart white people coming to america is "american inventiveness", in case you haven't noticed.