zlacker

Related: NASA chief suggests SpaceX may be booted from moon mission [1]. Blue Origin could snatch SpaceX's Starship lander contract. This looks increasingly a good idea.

[1] https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/20/science/nasa-spacex-moon-land...

>>latefo+(OP)
> This looks increasingly a good idea.

Why?

>>admax8+f
SpaceX hits delays according to the article

>>dmbche+j2
And blue origin has no delays because they don't even launch anything.

>>admax8+f
The reason for the entire moon mission is national prestige.

Is financial fraud consistent with our national prestige?

There are better companies.

>>latefo+(OP)
Sean Duffy is no longer acting administrator of NASA. This proposal was apparently part of a bid to get the support of a coalition of old-space companies and new-space non-SpaceX companies. As part of that strategy he apparently leaked Isaacman's Project Athena document and was backgrounding that he was a SpaceX plant.

But, Isaacman is administrator now, and whatever you think about Isaacman and his relationship to SpaceX, I don't think there's much merit in thinking one of Duffy's half thought out plans is likely to be carried out.

>>latefo+z3
The original Moon mission was masterminded by a literal card-carrying ex-member of the Nazi party (Wernher von Braun) and the American public back then didn't seem to mind.

>>kirren+E3
Sadly this seems correct. When Trump was re-elected Elon Musk pushed for Jared Isaacman to be appointed as NASA administrator. When the pick went another way, it led to some real friction between Musk and Trump. Now, with Isaacman finally at the helm of NASA, it looks like Musk’s influence over the agency has come full circle.

>>ramraj+l3
https://www.reuters.com/science/blue-origin-launches-new-gle...

>>inglor+t5
All rocketry was, back then. You wanted ballistic telemetry? If you didn't know someone who worked on the V-2, you had to launch your own sounding rockets.

I think the parent's point stands. There's a lot more pragmatic concern with the damage SpaceX could do in 2026, versus the damage Nazis could do in the 1960s.

>>latefo+z3
why must usamericans insist that they be the best at everything? it seems psychopathic...

>>latefo+z3
>Is financial fraud consistent with our national prestige?

You're right, that may be all we have left to show for it if people can't come up with something better.

Whether it's Musk or anybody else who's a real example of outright fraud, in a top position where honesty and straightforward dealing mean more than anything.