Category Archives: Economics

SpaceX President & COO Gwynne Shotwell says @Starlink will be profitable this year, but Starship will take the company to the next level.

“We are going to make some money on Starlink this year. But ultimately I think Starship will be the thing that takes us over the top as one… pic.twitter.com/krgczyAOBZ
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) November 15, 2024

[Saturday-afternoon update]

Here is the full talk from @Gwynne_Shotwell at the Baron Capitol conference from yesterday!

03:50 – Mechazilla
08:54 – Regulatory struggles
11:51 – Starshield
18:00 – Why we need to make life multiplanetary
22:23 – SpaceX management
26:39 – Starlink
38:43 – Starlink on Mars… pic.twitter.com/EzaacTMc4S
— Robin (@xdNiBoR) November 16, 2024

Business, Economics, Education, Health, Law, Media Criticism, Political Commentary

The Federal Budget

November 14, 2024 Rand Simberg 8 Comments

Ten places where it could and should be cut.

[Friday-morning update]

The Trump administration needs to clean up the mess from Carter and Obama.

[Update a while later]

More budget-cutting ideas from Veronique de Rugy.

[Update a while later]

Waste, fraud, and abuse are not the problem; bureaucratic power is.

Business, Economics, Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Science And Society

Global Existential Risks

November 13, 2024 Rand Simberg 14 Comments

Climate change isn’t one of them.

Business, Economics, Law, Political Commentary, Technology and Society

This Seems Like Sort Of A BFD

November 12, 2024 Rand Simberg 6 Comments

Huge decision holding that CEQ never had authority to issue the National Environmental Policy Act regulations that have been used for nearly half a century https://t.co/8Jn5TF4kT5 pic.twitter.com/KRn0ZDIbIS
— James Coleman (@EnergyLawProf) November 12, 2024

If SCOTUS upholds this, it can only be fixed with legislation. I expect SpaceX (and other people who want to build things) to go pedal to the metal now.

Business, Economics, Political Commentary, Space, Technology and Society