Vulcan rocket's debut brings long-awaited challenge to SpaceX dominance (www.japantimes.co.jp)
from stopthatgirl7@kbin.social to technology@lemmy.world on 11 Jan 2024 09:15
https://kbin.social/m/technology@lemmy.world/t/753626

Dependence on SpaceX has been a concern for the Pentagon, which wants multiple vendors of rides to orbit.

#technology

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FlexibleToast@lemmy.world on 11 Jan 2024 10:10 next collapse

The important part about this is that Vulcan doesn’t just use yet another Russian bought rocket engine. It uses BE-4, from Blue Origin. Finally, someone other than SpaceX building rockets. Too bad it’s the other out of touch billionaire with too much power and influence that is doing it.

WHYAREWEALLCAPS@kbin.social on 11 Jan 2024 12:30 next collapse

Right? What could possibly go wrong by putting our future in space in the hands of a bunch of narcissistic dickbag billionaires?

TimeSquirrel@kbin.social on 11 Jan 2024 14:18 collapse

Nobody ever said it we start spreading into space, we won't be taking all our current problems with us. Star Trek kinda gave us a rosy vision.

dynamojoe@lemmy.world on 11 Jan 2024 16:31 next collapse

It’s probably going to be more like the Expanse but more violent, oppressive, and jingoistic.

aBundleOfFerrets@sh.itjust.works on 11 Jan 2024 18:08 collapse

The expanse makes it very clear that there was no shortage of space oppression before the events that occur in the books

FlexibleToast@lemmy.world on 14 Jan 2024 02:42 collapse

Rosy? Star Trek said we had to go through a nuclear apocalyptic war before learning to cooperate.

MumboJumbo@lemmy.world on 11 Jan 2024 14:55 collapse

SYLRC (Support Your Local Rocket Company) Seriously though, there’s a lot of new ones coming online and/or developing: Stoke, Astra, Relativity, Rocket Lab, etc… Yeah, it sucks that two of the behemoths are ran by egomaniacal sociopaths, but some of the other ones are bringing some cool tech and innovation to the table, and even getting government contracts.

Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world on 11 Jan 2024 13:58 next collapse

Well… Capability wise there’s still a huge gap between SpaceX and all the rest. The Vulcan is only competition for Falcon 9 because the DoD wants an alternative at all cost.

LesserAbe@lemmy.world on 11 Jan 2024 16:22 collapse

Yeah, this is not a competitor in terms of cost or launch cadence. Just good to have any second option.

sxan@midwest.social on 11 Jan 2024 17:13 next collapse

India and China have active space programs, and all other concerns aside, the more, the merrier. I really hope ESA starts demonstrating some progress; it’s about the only thing that could shame the US Gov into properly funding NASA.

sunbeam60@lemmy.one on 12 Jan 2024 02:50 collapse

ESA demonstrating progress?! Maybe by Ariane 9. Whatever abomination Ariane 6 is, it ain’t competitive.

JohnDClay@sh.itjust.works on 11 Jan 2024 23:30 next collapse

It’s not really able to compete with SpaceX on price. But with customers like the DOD or Kuiper, there’s probably a market for someone who isn’t SpaceX.

youtu.be/wD3MruC-FTc

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weew@lemmy.ca on 12 Jan 2024 03:27 collapse

they can compete in very specific cases - like heavy load to GTO. Falcon Heavy would require full expenditure of all 3 cores to match, which wouldn’t be much cheaper. Plus the larger fairing size helps with certain kinds of satellites.

JohnDClay@sh.itjust.works on 12 Jan 2024 03:55 collapse

Yeah, but gto with fairings bigger then even the extended falcon heavy fairing willing to accept higher costs is a very narrow use case, I doubt it would support the whole vehicle. I’m guessing they will get quite a bit of business from trying to diversity away from SpaceX though.

weew@lemmy.ca on 12 Jan 2024 04:32 collapse

the point is that it isn’t higher cost for those missions. Falcon Heavy will have to run at 100% expended mode which is nearly the same cost as Vulcan.

And some missions and payloads outright exclude falcon Heavy, period. High orbit and/or large satellites.

MonkderZweite@feddit.ch on 12 Jan 2024 13:33 collapse

So the company is called Vulcan?

Kbobabob@lemmy.world on 12 Jan 2024 14:10 collapse

A Boeing-Lockheed joint venture’s launch of a new Vulcan rocket

It’s the first sentence of the article…

MonkderZweite@feddit.ch on 12 Jan 2024 14:11 collapse

I’m talking about the title. My bad.

Kbobabob@lemmy.world on 12 Jan 2024 14:22 collapse

Ah, gotcha