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Comment by SilverElfin | Hacker News Reader

Shame. I would love to see a competitor rein in SpaceX.

> rein in? You don't like going to space? What do you have against progress?

Rein in their margins is probably a better term. I’m a spacex fan but I’m reminded of what happens to every darling leader that crushes competition. It gets complacent, uses shitty tricks to cut out competitors, and raises prices.

I saw this at Google and it’s what will happen to SpaceX (already starting with Starlink pricing) if there isn’t someone to keep the competitive pressure on.

I have a lot against its owner, who has been enabling a corrupt administration and boosting outright supremacists on social media. Not to the corrupt action of the fast track listing and the voting structure of SpaceX. And the fraudulent acquisition of xai and x that is basically taking from SpaceX to pay off other investors

SpaceX had to blow up plenty to get to where they are.

It looks like SpaceX blew up ~20 times while Blue Origin has blown up ~4

blowing up on the pad is a whole different level of disaster (which yeah spacex has done a couple times)

Yeah, but the vast majority of those were planned, and at least most exceeded expectations.

Was this an expected outcome? It doesn’t sound like it, but I’ve not really investigated it deeply.

SpaceX has had several unplanned explosions on the launchpad.

Only their most recent explosions have been planned. Anyone who followed early Starship, and even before then, remembers how much unexpected exploding, bursting and burning it, and previous SpaceX projects, have done to get to their current level of reliability.

What are you talking about exceeded expectations? Starship is very far behind schedule.

I agree with the sentiment, but while New Glenn is likely a more economical rocket, it doesn't even have the same payload capacity that Falcon Heavy had eight years ago. They are nowhere near a meaningful competitor yet, and if Starship actually gets up and running the mass to LEO gap between the two systems is like 5x+ with Starship aiming for full reusability while NG expends the second stage. Ofc even whimpy competition is still competition, and BO does have deep pockets.

That New Glenn is more economical then Falcon 9 or Falcon Heavy is a huge assumption and I will only believe it when I see it.

New Glenn is an incredibly large incredibly complex rocket with very, very complex and expensive engines. And both things are produced at rates much, much lower then Falcon Heavy.

Not to mention how optimized they are for reused and the fixed cost being split between launches.

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