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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: 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.