I predicted years ago that Ariane 6 would be obsolete before it flew. I suspect that its executives are starting to figure that out now, and are going to have to stop denigrating, and instead start imitating, SpaceX.
As Glenn notes, unlike the Carnegies, Rockefellers and J. P. Morgans, these robber barons haven’t given us much except toxic social media. The exception being, of course, Elon Musk.
They haven’t changed with the success of this mission. It would have been a shock if, after all the money they’ve spent, and schedule delays, it hadn’t been successful.
Potentially unpopular opinion: This flight, as will be all Artemis flights as currently planned, was a very expensive stunt.
Private/commercial activities, not multi-tens-of-billions NASA stunts with expendable launch systems, are the future of lunar exploration and development. https://t.co/ZQeeR1Tphk
Scanning through the (as usual, largely ridiculous) comments over there, it strikes me that the real race between SpaceX and SLS was not whether SS/SH would fly before SLS, but whether SpaceX will send people around the moon before Artemis II. I think it’s quite likely.
It is with great sadness that we share news of the passing of legendary Club member Colonel Joseph “Joe” Kittinger, II MED ’63, a distinguished recipient of the 2001 Explorers Club Medal and an aerospace pioneer. Col. Kittinger passed away today – Friday, December 9, 2022, at 94. pic.twitter.com/xQCYKqUXdx