2024 United States presidential election

[kEiThZ]

I don't think SpaceX would have happened without him, and SpaceX is a significant contribution.

SpaceX? No. Private/commercial space? Yes.

Going all the way back to PayPal mafia days he's always been a bullshitter who was really good at jumping on bandwagons just before they took off. Now that he's reaching the limits of this strategy, his actual abilities are becoming more obvious.

 

[afransen]

The Chinese built an EV industry without Elon Musk.

Not sure I agree. Tesla has been a big force in the Chinese market and Chinese OEMs benchmark themselves against Tesla.

 

[afransen]

SpaceX? No. Private/commercial space? Yes.

Going all the way back to PayPal mafia days he's always been a bullshitter who was really good at jumping on bandwagons just before they took off. Now that he's reaching the limits of this strategy, his actual abilities are becoming more obvious.

Where are all the other capable private launch companies? Why does SpaceX have 85% share of mass to orbit?

Blue Origin started before SpaceX and is still dithering. Even after trying to copy them. Imagine if they didn't have the competitive pressure.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Where are all the other capable private launch companies? Why does SpaceX have 85% share of mass to orbit?

Blue Origin started before SpaceX and is still dithering. Even after trying to copy them. Imagine if they didn't have the competitive pressure.

Not to say Elon doesn't deserve his share of credit - but it was a team effort - particularly by other high performers like Gwynne Shotwell and Hans Koenigsmann. He took risks - and he came very, very close to failure with SpaceX (one more failed launch back in 2008 would have ended his company); he was also lucky that NASA - which due to policy changes around commercial space (COTS program) - was there to basically bankroll his company before it was viable. That environment simply doesn't exist before.

AoD

 

[kEiThZ]

I work in the space domain. Gwynne Shotwell is revered. Musk not nearly as much.

 

[goreckm]

Where are all the other capable private launch companies? Why does SpaceX have 85% share of mass to orbit?

Blue Origin started before SpaceX and is still dithering. Even after trying to copy them. Imagine if they didn't have the competitive pressure.

Part of the success is one thing he was super good at (until recently), and that is PR and hype strategy. He gets brilliant young engineers to work double the hours for 1/3 the pay because they think they're saving humanity, where in reality they're just building a big near earth space business for Musk.

 

[picard102]

Not to say Elon doesn't deserve his share of credit

I mean, did he actually do any of the engineering? He's a front man, who's done very little outside of hype.

 

[afransen]

I mean, did he actually do any of the engineering? He's a front man, who's done very little outside of hype.

Credit is for management, not the engineering. He created the organizations that achieved these things. Thousands of engineers and others do the actual design work.

 

[picard102]

Credit is for management, not the engineering. He created the organizations that achieved these things. Thousands of engineers and others do the actual design work.

I don't find that very credible tbh. Other people are far more responsible for the management of these companies.

 

[Admiral Beez]

OMG! What a trainwreck.

 

[picard102]

Par for the course I'd say.

 

[afransen]

I don't find that very credible tbh. Other people are far more responsible for the management of these companies.

I guess it is a coincidence that Musk was involved in these companies.

 

[picard102]

I guess it is a coincidence that Musk was involved in these companies.

His money and his marketing was involved.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Here’s Project 2025.

https://www.project2025.org/

 

[afransen]

His money and his marketing was involved.

He's a pretty hateable guy. I get that. But I think that strong dislike blinds people and deprives them of perspective.