Falcon Heavy

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Ali Tait
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#1 Falcon Heavy

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Michael L
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#2 Re: Falcon Heavy

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We almost did a 'double take' when both side boosters landed virtually simultaneously. I was kind of hoping the car could take a couple of passengers - Nigel and Katie but you can't have everything.
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#3 Re: Falcon Heavy

Post by jack »

I certainly watched it (and the landing of the two boosters that made it back safely)

Mankind-level visionaries are thin on the ground – some might question the validity of space travel when there are so many serious Earth-bound issues that could benefit from that level of funding.

However, I believe that his vision (or madness) is food for the human spirit – look forwards and up, not down – what SpaceX did this week with their new rocket’s test launch is impressive, but being outside-the-box and instead of using a dummy cargo, sending one of Musk’s old cars into orbit round Mars with a mannequin wearing a space suit, the radio playing David Bowie's Space Oddity, the SatNav showing “Don’t Panic!” (from Douglas Adam’s Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy), a give-away mini copy of the car and its driver in the glove compartment (as a PR present for aliens) plus a crystal engraved with a quote from Isaac Azimov’s Foundation series. Just soooo cool.



This bought a smile to so many people’s faces…
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Ali Tait
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#4 Re: Falcon Heavy

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Yes agreed, Humans need to get off this planet to ensure long term survival imo.
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andrew Ivimey
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#5 Re: Falcon Heavy

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Just how many humans can get off this planet?
Would that ensure human survival?
Shouldn't Declan up our own home (first) ?
Philosophers have only interpreted the world - the point, however, is to change it. No it isn't ... maybe we should leave it alone for a while.
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pre65
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#6 Re: Falcon Heavy

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andrew Ivimey wrote: Wed Feb 07, 2018 9:42 am
Shouldn't We clean up our own home (first) ?
Yes, we certainly should.
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.

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Nick
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#7 Re: Falcon Heavy

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pre65 wrote: Wed Feb 07, 2018 9:46 am
andrew Ivimey wrote: Wed Feb 07, 2018 9:42 am
Shouldn't We clean up our own home (first) ?
Yes, we certainly should.
Its not zero sum unless you think that the energy and invention put into SpaceX would be used to "clean up" this planet in some way if it wasn’t "wasted" trying to get off planet?
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#8 Re: Falcon Heavy

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andrew Ivimey wrote: Wed Feb 07, 2018 9:42 am Just how many humans can get off this planet?
Would that ensure human survival?
Shouldn't Declan up our own home (first) ?
Millions could be sent as embryos.
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#9 Re: Falcon Heavy

Post by jack »

I did say "some might question the validity of space travel when there are so many serious Earth-bound issues that could benefit from that level of funding."

followed by:

"However, I believe that his vision (or madness) is food for the human spirit – look forwards and up, not down"

I believe the likes of SpaceX's exploits are food for the spirit - they advance mankind. If you want to nit-pick about the cost, it's dwarfed by the US's military expenditure of USD 800bn and many other examples of madness.
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andrew Ivimey
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#10 Re: Falcon Heavy

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The embryos could be food I suppose. As for food for the spirit - I don't think so. I find it depressing and ridiculous.

One extra madness doesn't get excused by the other things that are wrong on this planet.
Philosophers have only interpreted the world - the point, however, is to change it. No it isn't ... maybe we should leave it alone for a while.
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#11 Re: Falcon Heavy

Post by jack »

andrew Ivimey wrote: Wed Feb 07, 2018 10:46 am The embryos could be food I suppose. As for food for the spirit - I don't think so. I find it depressing and ridiculous.

One extra madness doesn't get excused by the other things that are wrong on this planet.
We'll have to agree to differ then.

Plenty wrong with the planet - doesn't mean you can't do other stuff to if you want - it's not an "either/or" choice.

My day job (and a chunk of our private life) is entirely focused on our philanthropic activities - if Mr. Musk and his cohorts want to dream a little with their own money, good luck to them.
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shane
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#12 Re: Falcon Heavy

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Let’s not forget that if the SpaceX project goes as planned, and so far it’s done pretty well, it’ll be a hugely profitable enterprise. Elon Musk my be a dreamer and a visionary, but he’s also a hard nosed business man. He’s made enough to be able to afford to take huge risks funding projects which he believes with justification will benefit mankind, but if the risks pay off they’ll benefit Elon Musk even more.
The world looks so different after learning science. For example, trees are made of air, primarily. When they are burned, they go back to air, and in their flaming heat is released the flaming heat of the Sun which was bound in to convert air into tree.
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#13 Re: Falcon Heavy

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shane wrote: Wed Feb 07, 2018 11:38 am Let’s not forget that if the SpaceX project goes as planned, and so far it’s done pretty well, it’ll be a hugely profitable enterprise. Elon Musk my be a dreamer and a visionary, but he’s also a hard nosed business man. He’s made enough to be able to afford to take huge risks funding projects which he believes with justification will benefit mankind, but if the risks pay off they’ll benefit Elon Musk even more.
Not sure if that's in any way relevant - good luck to him - he's not the only ultra-rich guy doing this stuff - Jeff Bezos is too and in a smaller way, so are several others.

The one thing I've learnt in working for UHNWIs is that unlike the hoi polloi, they have a choice: They can sit and just enjoy their billions, or they can do some serious good.

Most I'm aware of have a serious philanthropic side to what they do - they often keep very quiet about that.

Doesn't stop them running their businesses and having fun at the same time. If it really gets people's attention, and makes them think, all the better.
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#14 Re: Falcon Heavy

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He’s made enough to be able to afford to take huge risks funding projects which he believes with justification will benefit mankind
But remember when he started all this he was only slightly wealthy, and he invested most of what he had into the enterprises he thought needed doing. My point is he took the risks when they were risks, not when he could afford to fail and still be hugely wealthy.
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#15 Re: Falcon Heavy

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No, I’m just answering Andrew’s point about cleaning up our planet first by pointing out that he’s spending his own money, and so isn’t diverting funds away from other potentially beneficial projects. Of course you may think he should be made to use his money for specific ends such as defeating poverty and disease. Now that would be a wonderful thing, but as soon as we start telling these people how they should spend their money, they’ll stop spending it. And anyway, Bill and Melissa are doing that already.
The world looks so different after learning science. For example, trees are made of air, primarily. When they are burned, they go back to air, and in their flaming heat is released the flaming heat of the Sun which was bound in to convert air into tree.
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