Why is today's launch such a big deal?
🚀It's the first launch to the ISS from US soil in nearly a decade
🚀It's the first crewed launch to orbit from a private spacecraft
#LaunchAmerica
🚀It's the first launch to the ISS from US soil in nearly a decade
🚀It's the first crewed launch to orbit from a private spacecraft
#LaunchAmerica
Why did it take so long to get here?
Mix of "space is hard" program delays - but also, this program wasn't funded properly in the beginning. Not everyone thought this was a great idea initially.
Mix of "space is hard" program delays - but also, this program wasn't funded properly in the beginning. Not everyone thought this was a great idea initially.
The shuttle was retired in 2011 - what did we do in the meantime?
We paid the Russians to shuttle our Astronauts to/from the ISS. The cost per seat on a Soyuz today is around $86 Million.
Cost per seat on Crew Dragon is ~$55 Million
We paid the Russians to shuttle our Astronauts to/from the ISS. The cost per seat on a Soyuz today is around $86 Million.
Cost per seat on Crew Dragon is ~$55 Million
This flight is the biggest, most important event that has happened in human spaceflight in the last decade.
I cannot emphasize enough how high the stakes are here. For SpaceX, for NASA, for everyone involved.
All flights are impt - but this one is historic.
#LaunchAmerica
I cannot emphasize enough how high the stakes are here. For SpaceX, for NASA, for everyone involved.
All flights are impt - but this one is historic.
#LaunchAmerica
This flight ushers in a new way to do business at NASA.
Rather than hiring a contractor to build a spacecraft which NASA owns, manages, and operates - much of this responsibility is shifted over to the private sector (SpaceX)
Rather than hiring a contractor to build a spacecraft which NASA owns, manages, and operates - much of this responsibility is shifted over to the private sector (SpaceX)
The idea here is this -
NASA has done human flight to Low Earth Orbit for decades. To allow NASA to focus its resources on things that have never been done before - they're handing the keys to LEO over to the private sector so they can do it more quickly/cheaply
NASA has done human flight to Low Earth Orbit for decades. To allow NASA to focus its resources on things that have never been done before - they're handing the keys to LEO over to the private sector so they can do it more quickly/cheaply
That's why today (and other crewed launches from SpaceX/Boeing) is so important - it validates this business model. It validates the investment in commercial crew.
Again...when there are lives on the line, it's always an important flight. But this one...the stakes are so high.
Again...when there are lives on the line, it's always an important flight. But this one...the stakes are so high.
🚀
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
