Really? I know the difference between 130 tons and the 10 tons the Falcon has yet to deliver anywhere. We can build a HLV right now with existing components. The hobby rocket cannot be anything but a hobby rocket.

It doe not matter how much it takes to send astronauts on a BEO mission when there is nothing capable of doing it. It requires hydrogen upper stages and a hydrogen earth departure stage. That is the only way human beings have ever traveled BEO and it will remain so because the laws of physics have not changed.

You do not have a bloody clue about physics, much less about engineering or economics, that much is clear.

And by the way, humans haven’t actually traveled BEO yet.

How can a question (dumb or not) be “accurate”?

They spend the money on coffee voluntarily. It’s their own money.

This kind of argument doesn’t become less stupid from repetition.”

Rand, this wasn’t meant as an argument. It was meant as a value comparison.

As for whether the comment was stupid or not, I would argue that it was accurate. It may not have been useful to the conversation, but I would not consider it stupid. I see many comments in this forum that are neither useful or intelligent. I can’t say that you have set the bar with that comment, but you certainly set yourself in a category.

The shuttle is gone Ron. What are you talking about? Just blowing smoke so you can advertise for the ump-teenth time.

It doe not matter how much it takes to send astronauts on a BEO mission when there is nothing capable of doing it. It requires hydrogen upper stages and a hydrogen earth departure stage. That is the only way human beings have ever traveled BEO and it will remain so because the laws of physics have not changed.

The shuttle derived HLV looks to be carrying a capsule. I would have preferred a cargo version but oh well.

Very bad news for SpaceX. Great news for space exploration.

I suggest you read Aesop’s fable again and consider the origin of those Federal dollars.

CxP committed suicide, slowly and painfully.

“Its ironic that those who have been advocating less government spending on government programs and ending government subsidies fro private industry are now whining about cuts to NASA programs:-) You reap what you sow.”

No, we’ve been advocating for NASA to spend it’s money more wisely, but continued funding of the SLS shows that greedy politicians have not learned any lessons from CxP.

It cost Shuttle $4.8B to get 28 astronauts up to space in one year. SpaceX is planning to do that for $560M, and likely Boeing, SNC and Blue Origin will be able to do it for less than $1.6B (Soyuz prices).

What could the SLS/MPCV do as the backup for commercial crew? Four (4) crew for over $1B/flight. That’s worse than what Shuttle was costing us.

Who in their right mind would think that spending far more for something equates to a good idea?

Never underestimate the power of stupid.